HARARE - President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday agreed the veteran leader would open the next Parliamentary session soon.

But by yesterday Parliament had still not been notified of a date and there has been no gazetting of the presidential proclamation, the formal legal instrument required to end the present session and start the next one.

Mugabe is still to set the date for the ceremonial opening of fifth and last parliamentary session.

Despite having agreed with other Principals in the inclusive government that he was going to officially open the fifth session soon, he is yet to inform the legislature when he will officially open it.
 
Both Houses stand adjourned until Tuesday October 9 from last month when the Parliament sat.

Speaker of the House of Assembly Lovemore Moyo says Parliament is now sitting on an ad hoc basis as the fourth session ended its business in July.

Moyo told the Daily News yesterday that parliament was now waiting for a confirmation from President Robert Mugabe on the date he will be officially opening the fifth session of the seventh Parliament.

Moyo said there is not much to be expected from the current parliamentary sittings because work outlined in the fourth session has been finished.

“I know that we had planned that our parliament business was going to finish in July and at the end of July we were expecting Mugabe to open the parliament and this is still to happen.

“The parliament session that will happen next Tuesday is an ad hoc sitting. There are no serious issues that are outstanding for debate,” said Moyo.

He said Parliament had communicated with Mugabe’s office and was waiting for a report when he will officially open the fifth session.

Moyo said there were no new motions to be introduced in Parliament during the current fourth session.