Mugabe signs Constitution Amendment into law despite concerns process was rigged
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Virginia Mabhiza confirmed that President Robert Mugabe signed the constitutional amendment number one into law.
Under the new law, the President is empowered to select the Chief Justice, his deputy and the Judge President and these appointees will not be subjected to interviews in public as provided in the current provisions of the Constitution.
Earlier this month, MDC-T lawmaker Jessie Majome wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda pointing out irregularities in voting for Constitution Amendment Bill Number 1. The Bill is said to have been passed in Parliament with Zanu-PF claiming a majority but Majome points out irregularities which make the result null and void.
She points out that there was double counting and the ascribing of yes votes to absent legislators. In her letter to Mudenda, Majome points out 6 irregularities which are as follows:
1.The total number of yeses are recorded as 182, yet they only tally to 181.
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2. Double counting of an Honourable MP i.e Hon. I Pedzisai as having voted yes. This brings the total yeses 10 180 instead of the 181 adjusted figure in point 1.
3. The ascribing of a yes vote to 2 Hon. MPs i.e. D. Marapira and C. Mabuwa who were absent with leave, bringing the yes vote down to 178
4. The ascribing of two MDC Hon. MPs i.e. D.M. Ndlovu and B. Tshuma to the ZANU PF yes vote when they neither voted yes and worse were absent from the House on the day. This renders the Yes vote a mere 176, four votes shy of the 180 votes required to pass it.
5. Ascribing 7 votes to the ZANU PF yes vote to MPs who were not recorded as present on the day i.e. Hon. MPs Beremauro G, Chikukwa M, Hlongwane M, Dutiro P, Simbanegavi Y, Ndlovu D”, Tshuma 13* (*votes have already been removed in Point 4) and 1 vote from the MDC i.e Hon Muguni N (Mguni N) This brings down the yes tally to 171.
6. The ascribing of a ZANU PF MP R. Chabaya to the MDC no vote which if we added it to the ZANU PF Yes tally, would yield 172 votes for yes, which would still be a 2/3 majority deficit of 8.
