Nominations list trash MDC-T’s support for Constitution Amendment No.2 #ElectionsZW
The nomination lists for women and youth quotas have trashed claims by MDC-T that it only supported the controversial Constitutional Amendment No.2 because of the quotas.
In 2021, MDC-T’s Senators were instrumental in passing the Bill in both the National Assembly and the Senate where Zanu PF was lacking in numbers to attain the required two-thirds majority.
In the Senate, about 12 MDC-T legislators voted for the Bill to take the Yes vote tally to 65 which is way above the 54 thresholds (two-thirds).
Party leader Douglas Mwonzora argued that women in his party voted for the Bill because of the extension of the Proportional Representation quota.
He also added that MDC-T was also excited by the introduction of the 10 youth quota seats and could not let go of them. Watch Video
However, the nomination list for candidates released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has shown that MDC-T only fielded a hand full of candidates for the quotas that made them support the amendment to the constitution.
MDC-T like any other party contesting in the 2023 general elections was expected to provide a list of about 60 females for the Proportional Representation quota, but only managed 12.
The party has six women in Matabeleland North Province and six women in Manicaland Province.
On the youth quota, the party managed to successfully file 2 names (Matabeleland North (1) and (1) in Manicaland) out of the available 10 seats.
Speaking then during the debate of the Constitutional Amendment Bill No.2, Mwonzora said that the extension of the women’s quota and the youth quota is the next progressive thing.
‘’Thank you very much, Mr. President Sir, I will just make brief comments before I go to the very new thing. Of course, in the absence of a clear 50-50 provision, an extension of the women’s quota is the next progressive thing. In the absence of anything else, a quota for the youth is of course welcome.
‘’We have started a new philosophy that the youths are not leaders of tomorrow, they are leaders of today, and introducing them into the legislature is a right step in bringing that leadership,’’ he said.
Read Mwonzora’s full debate here:
