By Karen Nyeraurombo
MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora has complained that his party is being criticized unfairly by some sections of civil society organisations following the passing of Amendment Bill No.2.
Mwonzora’s legislators 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 tally to 65 which is way above the 54 thresholds (two-thirds).
Speaking during a press conference, Mwonzora said the criticism ignores the fight that his legislators put out in both houses.
“We have come under unfair criticism; the MDC Members of Parliament have come under unfair criticism from some sections of civil society and other opposition political parties.
“As I said that criticism is unfair, it does not give credit to the exceptional fight that these people did give to the National Assembly during the debating stage, people have ignored that.
“Those people that are criticizing us outside Parliament are forgetting that they did the nation a disservice on this issue. This bill was taken to public hearings and those political parties criticizing us today did not even organize people against the bill.
“During the public hearings, they sat at home on Twitter sharing hate language. They did not even petition Parliament against the Bill, they did not even organize a demonstration of 10 people against this Bill or a one-man demonstration like Itai Dzamara. They sat on their laurels, they thought it was an opportunity for cheap propaganda. The MDC fought and it went down fighting, we are proud of our Members of Parliament.
“The MDC-T remains committed to constitutionalism, we remain fortified that the issues bedeviling Zimbabwe are solved via dialogue and we wish that any constitutional amendment that is to come in the future must involve the people. The political parties no matter how strong must listen to one another.
“I want to pay tribute to some people from the civil society who tried to lobby the MDC like Douglas Coltart did try to lobby for us and to make sure that this Bill is blocked, and this is the spirit that we want.
“The MDC-T Senators were clear about their opposition to the amendment of the running mate clause; we think that the amendment was unnecessary.
“We did suggest during the debate as a compromise that if they were fearing that the Vice President may not serve at the pleasure of the President, we will remove that and put in place that the President could appoint his deputies and designate them as first and second Vice President again this was rejected”.
We have been criticized unfairly: Mwonzora
