Posted on 01/23/2004 7:32:04 AM PST by Clive
Parliament yesterday descended into fury, with three opposition members being expelled from the House, and with the government benches voting against themselves.
Parliament was debating the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill, which seeks to amend a previous Land Amendment Act - both of which deal with the "fast-track land reform programme" which has so devastated the agricultural industry and the economy.
The Parliamentary Legal Committee, whose role is to scrutinise Bills before the House for their legality, submitted an adverse report stating that the Bill was in contravention of the Constitution.
Professor Welshman Ncube (MDC) presented the adverse report, and Patrick Chinamasa, minister of justice and parliamentary affairs, then stood to lead the government's arguments against the adverse report.
As soon as Chinamasa began his speech, opposition legal affairs spokesman David Coltart raised a point of order.
In terms of Clause 17 of the Parliamentary Privileges and Powers Act, it is a criminal offence for any MP with a financial interest in a Bill to contribute to or participate in debate. Coltart tabled a list of MPs, and the farms they own, and pointed out that Chinamasa owns three farms taken under the "fast-track" land expropriation.
The list was then grabbed by Jorum Gumbo (Zanu PF) who started remonstrating with other Zanu PF members about its contents. Chinamasa called Coltart a "racist liar", and three opposition MPs - Tendai Biti, Gabriel Chaibva, and Willias Madzimure - were expelled from the House for arguing with the chairman.
The Legal Committee's report was then debated, and proceeded to a vote. "All those in favour of the report, say Aye", called the chairman. The government benches all cried "Aye" in unison, suddenly realising that they had voted in favour of a report which labelled the Bill as being unconstitutional.
In complete contradiction of parliamentary procedure, the chairman then held a second vote, as if the first had not taken place, with the government benches this time managing to vote the way the were supposed to.
The state-owned Herald today quoted Chinamasa as saying: "President Mugabe is the sacrificial lamp (sic) on the land issue."
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