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Clarification statement on UNDP advisor's involvement
The Constitutional Select Committee (COPAC)
March 08, 2012

The Parliamentary Select Committee is pleased to announce that it has completed the review of the proposed draft constitution. However, a few issues remain outstanding. The Management Committee is seized with those issues.

COPAC has been responsible for the constitution-making process in Zimbabwe. In this regard, we have committed ourselves to a people-driven process and are happy to confirm that we are delivering on this mandate. After a most vigorous, extensive and intensive process of public outreach, we have successfully managed to consider and incorporate the people's views into a complete draft constitution. We will soon have completed the technical refinement of the Constitution and be ready to submit it to the people of Zimbabwe and to the Second All Stakeholders Conference for consideration and validation.

We wish to express our gratitude and appreciation to the team of technical experts that have supported us on our efforts to achieve this result. We also express our gratitude for the support to us by the UNDP and the consortium of donors who have so generously supported the process.

In this regard, we refer to the recent publication of the article in the Herald of 8 March, 2012. The support we have received from the UNDP has been in the form of both financial and technical support by way of making qualified international experts available for the process. Thus, COPAC has benefited form the services of experts form Kenya and South Africa. Apart form the support received from the Kenyan expert who assisted with the management of the data from the outreach exercise, COPAC has also benefited from the support by Mr Hassen Ebrahim.

Mr Ebrahim is a recognised international expert with experience in constitution-making from several countries including Nepal, Somalia, Sudan and South Africa. He was appointed by the UNDP following a request from COPAC as a Senior Technical Expert to provide COPAC with technical support. Mr Ebrahim has worked with both the Select and Technical Committees and provided a survey of best practices and advice on various constitutional issues.

COPAC has been satisfied with the quality of services provided by the UNDP sponsored technical experts and has been impressed by the knowledge and contribution made by Mr Ebrahim. Although COPAC has been assisted with technical advice, the key decisions in the process have been made by COPAC itself. The criticism leveled against the UNDP in general, and Mr Ebrahim in particular, is unfair and most unfortunate. Without the financial and technical assistance from our co-operating partners, COPAC would not have made the progress that is has made.

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