MPs, risk of being rubber stamps

The warnings come a week after Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, in his maiden speech to Parliament, said: “When a Cabinet Minister brings a position or policy to Parliament, it will be after the inclusive Cabinet has agreed by consensus . . .
“When (Finance) Minister (Tendai) Biti or (Foreign Affairs) Minister (Simbarashe) Mumbengegwi come to Parliament with issues; they will be having the backing of the leadership of the three political parties. How are you going to respond?”
Mutambara, who heads the smaller faction of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said there was no longer any opposition or ruling party in the august House and as such lawmakers can no longer operate along partisan lines.
This new scenario poses serious challenges for legislators whose oversight role could go against the decisions of their principals, namely, President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister  Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputies Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe.
In his maiden speech in Parliament, Tsvangirai said altho-ugh he was aware that MPs held diverse views on the way forward for the country, they should always remember that they were united by the Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed between ZANU-PF, and the two MDC formations.
Tsvangirai is the leader of the larger faction of the MDC.
“I know that in this House, there are many interests represented, many views held and many political opinions expressed as to the best way forward for our nation.
“While I welcome this diversity and the robust debate that results from it, we must always remember that we are united by the principles contained within the GPA,” the Prime Minister said.
Takura Zhangazha, the director of the local chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa said in constituting the inclusive government, lawmakers must guard against rubberstamping decisions in the name of the broad-based political agreement reached on September 15 2008 under the auspices of regional leaders.
“There is a serious risk of parliament rubberstamping executive decisions simply because it is in the spirit of the GPA. Parliament must not mimic the executive, it must retain its independence,” Zhangazha said.
“If it simply rubberstamps, it goes against the principle of the separation of powers. We can only urge parliamentarians to ensure that Parliament remains independent.”
Eldred Masunungure, a political analyst and university lecturer, said the country has a strong whip system that would force MPs to tow party lines.
Political leaders, Masunungure said, often use the whip system to ensure that the party’s image is not undermined by dissenting voices adding that the current arrangement made it difficult for legislators to deliberate meaningfully.
“In the absence of a partisan divide in Parliament, it would be very difficult for members to say anything at variance with what government has proposed.
“Zimbabwe has a very strong whip system to whip MPs into line,” said Masunungure.
The university lecturer added that the inclusive government has removed the notion of a ruling party and as such Parliament is no longer divided along partisan lines.
“While the inclusive government has ushered in a new era of a co-operative government, the downside is that you no longer have that critical voice, hence, the danger of Parliament becoming a rubber stamp,” he said.
The only independent candidate in parliament is former information minister and government spokesperson, Professor Jonathan Moyo, of Tsholotsho constituency.
Harare lawyer, Terrence Hussein, said by the nature of the agreement signed by the three parties, parliament might reflect the position of the inclusive government.
He, however, added that MP’s would “have some form of expression” in the committees where they would question and oversee government policy.
“The government consists of three major parties represented in parliament and, therefore, you do not expect Parliament to disagree with government position,” Hussein said.
“Dissenters do not have much room to operate because they are usually dealt with at party caucuses where they are usually whipped into line.
“It is healthy if things are going well, but unhealthy when things are going bad.”