Correspondent|MDC leader Nelson Chamisa has responded to the demands by his party Members of Parliament for Treasury to issue them with Toyota Landcruisers, gym subscriptions, iPads, diplomatic passports, higher allowances as well as whole books of fuel coupons at a time the majority of people who voted them in can hardly get by.

MDC legislators this week showed rare unity with their ruling ZANU-PF counterparts and independent MP Temba Mliswa to demand luxuries from Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube in exchange for them voting for his 2019 budget statement.

“That’s wrong politics,” Nelson Chamisa said when asked by one of his followers on Twitter. “The demands are out of tune with the MDC pro-people social democratic tenets,” Chamisa added.

He added that the MPs shall be called to explain, Chamisa said.

He however failed to respond to questions whether they will decline the luxuries if government went ahead and purchased the Landcruisers.

After getting Mthuli Ncube to agree on their demands, the MDC MPs ignored the debate on the vote of the Public Service Commission, which takes care of the country’s impoverished civil servants, including teachers and doctors, despite doctors being on strike and teachers threatening one.

Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent), who was instrumental in canvassing MPs to demand good perks, said: “MPs are handicapped and we are talking of only one car, a Landcruiser, which is the only car good enough for MPs to do their work because the Mazdas and Toyotas we get are not good enough.”

Ncube promised that MPs would comparatively get their vehicles, but said the agreed model was a Toyota Hilux twin cab vehicle.

Ncube said he would also look at the issue of pensions for MPs who have served for a term, and also suggested to increase Parliament’s budget from $101 million to $120 million.