A legal expert, David Hofisi says the reconstituted MDC-T has the authority to recall MDC Alliance MPs, contrary to the views that have been expressed by some commentators.
Hofisi’s remarks come after MDC-T secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora last week wrote a letter to the Speaker of Parliament recalling four MDC Alliance legislators.
Writing on his blog, Hofisi asserted that the MPs were recalled not on the basis of which party they represented in the 2018 elections, but to which party they belonged. He said:
The question is not, as suggested by other commentators, which party they represented, but to which party they belonged.
Even the most senior members of Chamisa’s party acknowledge that the MDC Alliance was only a coalition of parties during and immediately after the 2018 elections. It had no individual membership.
None of the MDC Alliance legislators belonged to the MDC Alliance – they belonged to their own political parties. These political parties formed the institutional membership of the Alliance.
If the MDC Alliance ever became a political party, this occurred after elections. Thus, the constituent political parties retained the right of recall in terms of the Alliance Agreement and the National Constitution.
The MDC-T was a member of the MDC Alliance. This is the party to which the legislators belonged in 2018 and it is the party under the interim leadership of Dr.Khupe.
In other words, these MP’s were recalled by the MDC Alliance, through its constituent party the MDC-T.
Therefore, Chalton Hwende’s tweet indicating that he left the MDC-T in 2018 is confirmation of the grounds upon which he was recalled.
