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New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
COPAC
completely useless: Dr Madhuku
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
July
13, 2010
Revered constitutional
lawyer and National Chairperson of the National Constitutional Assembly
(NCA) Dr Lovemore Madhuku has dismissed the ongoing constitutional
reform process being undertaken by the Constitutional Parliamentary
Select Committee (COPAC) of parliament as complete loss of time
and resources.
Madhuku lashed at the
process and described it as useless and a money making scheme by
politicians during a quill speak discussion at the Quill Club yesterday
evening where Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa of Zanu PF and
Deputy minister of Women's Affairs Jessie Majome were part
of the panel.
Dr Madhuku said
that COPAC was wasting resources which could be used for the development
of the nation while engaging in their useless process which has
already been marred by logistical problems.
"What
the COPAC is doing can only be described as completely useless and
nothing else basing from the reports we have been getting from the
outreach exercise. The writing of a country's constitution
is a very important process and that can only be achieved through
an all inclusive process and led by an independent commission and
not the politicians of the day," said Dr Madhuku.
Madhuku maintained the
NCA's position to challenge the outcome of the process and
added , "As the NCA we will continue providing civic education
to the people of Zimbabwe about what constitutionalism is all about".
The NCA leader further
stated that events have clearly shown that COPAC has failed the
first test (process) adding that the NCA was now waiting to see
whether COPAC will pass the next test which would be the content
of the final draft.
"These
guys (COPAC) have completely failed the first test. As NCA we are
eagerly waiting to scrutinise the final draft, which we firmly believe
will be a flawed document," said Dr Madhuku.
He further
told journalist and other members of the civil society who attended
the discussion that the NO vote campaign will be premised on the
shortcomings of "both the process and content".
In 2000 the NCA successfully
campaigned for the rejection of the Chidyausiku constitution which
was written by the then ruling party. The quill speak was organised
by Media Institute of Southern Africa Zimbabwe Chapter in conjunction
with the Quill club and was attended by several journalists, diplomats
and activists.
Justice Minister
Chinamasa maintained Zanu PF's position that the former ruling
party will continue to support the Kariba
Draft and opting to blame the country's economic and political
woes to the land question.
COPAC representative
Majome told the journalist that the issues around the writing of
the Constitution would be between interest groups and stakeholders
fighting for their position to be included into the supreme law
of the country.
Majome equated
the writing of a constitution to what happens during election time.
The NCA is
currently running the Take Charge Campaign that is calling for a
total rejection of the government sham process and calling for a
genuine people driven constitution.
Visit the NCA
fact
sheet
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