From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZIMBABWE: BACKBENCHERS FIND SOME BACKBONE
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 21:57:16 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Europe, eastern
Title: ZIMBABWE: BACKBENCHERS FIND SOME BACKBONE


an inter press service analysis

by andrew zhakata

harare, dec 18 (ips) -- the year 1992 will go down in the annals
of zimbabwe's political history as the season backbenchers
wriggled out of their cocoons and demonstrated some independence
of thought in a parliament long charecterised as a rubber
stamping institution for party decisions.

since independence in 1980, zimbabwe's 150-seat parliament
-- out of which president robert mugabe's ruling zimbabwe
african national union-patriotic front (zanu-pf) controls 147
seats -- has shown a disquieting willingness to act as a
congregation of yes-men.

however, things are beginning to change. a few vociferous and
dissenting members of parliament (mps) provoked an unprecedented
showdown with the government in september when they refused to
approve the salaries and allowances of the country's eight
provincial governors, part of a bloated administrative
apparatus.

the mps successfully forced suspension of debate on the
governors' salaries until the budgets for all ministries had
been tabled and approved.

the mp for the constituency of mutare south, lazarus
nzarayebani, who initiated the motion to defer the issue of
governors' salaries described their post as ''an unnecessary
drain on public funds''. government is currently spending over
400,000 u.s dollars on governors' annually.

the minister of justice, legal and parliamentary affairs,
emmerson munangagwa, who is also leader of the house, accused
members of the ruling party who opposed the governors' vote of
engaging in treason.

a riled mugabe said: ''those egoistic and individualistic mps
must leave zanu-pf because no party can tolerate either arrogant
and strident individualism or unbridled egotism which is
outrageously and deliberately a defiance of the authority of the
party'', and pledged to campaign against them during the run-up
to the next general elections in 1995.

the backbenchers, after spirited protest, eventually caved
in. however, a whiff of mutiny remains. according to gibson
munyoro, mp for makoni south, ''zanu-pf is not a family company.
no amount of intimidation will silence some of us. if i am
rubber stamp mp, people must not vote for me in 1995. (more/ips)


zimbabwe: backbenchers (2)

''i must be allowed to speak my mind and say the whole truth
without any intimidation'', says munyoro.

chimanimani mp, mike mataure, notes for some time mps have
been insulted and misreported at every turn. ''where mps sought
to debate the budget and raise objections to provisions, this
was not taken kindly''.

mataure charges that the government should dance to the
tune of the masses rather the masses dancing to the whips
of the government. he adds that it is the mps who are the
custodians of responsible government in a situation where
ministers are increasingly out of touch with public concerns.

''it is high time mps stop being rubber stamps and stand up
to the occasion and make sure the house of assembly is not
brought into disrepute'', mataure told ips.

louis de la morgue, a political analyst, says the suppression
of the back-bench  revolt over the employment of provincial
governors is of particular importance because it was made quite
clear that elected mps were not to question in the house
decisions taken at party level.

nonetheless, a beginning has been made, says morgue.

jonathan moyo, dean of political science at the university of
zimbabwe, says the trend of approving parliamentary bills
without sufficient research and debate appears to be coming to
an end.

but with rumours beginning to circulate of an early election
next year (which zanu-pf is sure to win) to take advantage of
the good rains after a devastating drought, whether the new
freer spirit will continue faced with the need of party support
on the hustings is open to question. (end/ips/az/oa/92)
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