Zimbabwe Parliament passes CA19 Bill

ZIMBABWE'S House of Assembly has unanimously passed by acclamation Constitutional Amendment Number 19 Bill required to establish a legal framework which paves the way for the formation of the all-inclusive Government envisaged in the Global Political Agreement of Sept. 15, 2008.

Parliamentary Speaker Lovemore Moyo said 184 lawmakers in the 210-seat parliament attended today’s session which moved the Bill to the House floor for a quick vote.

The 184-0 vote in the Lower House easily surpasses the two-thirds majority needed to enact the legislation.

The Bill was the only item on Thursday’s Parliamentary Order Paper.

The Bill will now be taken to the Senate where it is expected to sail through without opposition before being assented to by President Mugabe. That vote is a formality expected later in the day.

The vote was greeted with jubilation and stomping of feet by legislators from both parties - a sign that things might be taking a different trajectory in Zimbabwean politics.

When he introduced the CA19 Bill, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa described the establishment of a unity government as "a leap of faith."

"It has been a long, frustrating, quarrelsome journey characterised by animosity and name-calling, but notwithstanding this, what is important is we have reached this path," said Chinamasa at the opening of the session.

MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti was less optimistic saying there was no choice. He said it was a "miracle" that the parties had managed to agree on the unity accord at all.

"Everything has happened on the negotiating table other than physical confrontation. It is a miracle that we are here," he said at the start of the session.

"We go into this government knowing that for this to work there has to be commitment," he said. "It is important to establish trust from the word go."

The opposition MDC-T formation's parliamentary chief whip Innocent Gonese had indicated Wednesday that the party would back the Bill "in line with the party's National Council resolutions."

Journalists who were in the public gallery said they had never seen such a rare show of unity between MDC and Zanu PF in the august House.

"The backwards and forwards discussions that took place and the facilitation efforts of (former South African President) Thabo Mbeki had 'enriched' the bill by garnering meaningful comment and insight," said a Zimbabwe Guardian reporter who was in the public gallery.

President Mugabe will remain Head of State while MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai will become Prime Minister in the envisaged all-inclusive Government while faction leader Prof. Arthur Mutamabara of the other MDC formation will become Deputy Prime Minister.

The negotiating teams and the Principals will now proceed to the next step in the Sadc Timeline - the creation of posts of PM and Deputy PM.

TIMELINE FOR INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT FORMATION

30 January 2009: Activation of, and first meeting of, the Joint-Monitoring Implementation Committee (JOMIC), provided for in the Global Political Agreement to, among other things, elect chairpesons;

January – February 4: Enactment of Constitutional Amendment Number 19 Bill

February 5: Creation of posts of Prime Minister and Deputy PM

February 11: Swearing in of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers by the President

February 13: Appointment of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Cabinet)

-Reuters/AFP/Our Reporter