Zimbabwe Court Nullifies Post of Parliament Speaker

Zimbabwe Court Nullifies Post of Parliament Speaker

Zimbabwe's Supreme Court has nullified the election of the Speaker of parliament, who came from opposition ranks, about two years after President Robert Mugabe's party lost the post for the first time.

The country's highest constitutional court ruled that the election of Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai's ally, Lovemore Moyo, did not follow proper procedures after a challenge by a senior member of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, lawyers said.

Elections

The ruling is likely to escalate tensions in the fragile unity government at a time Mugabe's ZANU-PF is pushing for elections this year. This also means Tsvangirai's MDC will have to fight for the position again.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's Energy Minister, Elton Mangoma has reportedly been detained by police, for unspecified reasons.

Mr Mangoma is a founder of the Movement for Democratic Change, which has been in an uneasy coalition with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF since 2009.

He was escorted from his offices by three plain-clothes officers.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai has responded by saying it is time for a "divorce" from Zanu-PF.

The prime minister called the arrest the act of "a barbaric and senseless dictatorship."

Fuel deal

A police spokesman could not confirm whether Mr Mangoma had been arrested or was just being questioned, and no reasons were given for his detention.

Reports say the arrest is believed to be in connection with a fuel deal the minister made in December with a little-known South African company.

Zanu-PF lawmakers accused Mr Mangoma of bypassing tender procedures and also claimed that only a fraction of the fuel paid for had actually been delivered.

He denies any wrongdoing and says all the fuel was delivered.

The arrest also comes as government rifts grow over Zanu-PF plans to increase local ownership of the country's mines.

REUTERS/BBC/Margaret/Ekata