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COPAC takes positive step on the 2nd All Stakeholders Conference
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (SA Regional Office)
September 24, 2012

As part of civil society lobby to have a democratic and transparent 2nd all stakeholders conference, scheduled for the 4th to the 6th of October 2012, more than 10 civil society organisations met with the COPAC Co-chairperson Hon Douglas Mwonzora who acknowledged that COPAC has re-visited the issue of delegates to attend the second all stakeholders conference among other critical issues.

The meeting was a response to our earlier statements where civil society threatened to pull out of the 2nd All Stakeholders? Conference. In the meeting, Hon. Mwonzora told civil society leaders that after extensive deliberations COPAC reviewed its position and resolved the following:

1) The number of delegates was scaled down from the initial 2000 to 1100 delegates. Of the 1100, 246 delegates will come from political parties, 284 from Parliament and 571 delegates from civil society.

2) The Copac draft, an interim national statistical report and five different documents with views from the national outreach, Diaspora, institutions, children and people living with disabilities will be submitted at the 2nd All stakeholders' Conference

3) The 2nd All Stakeholders Conference will not be a drafting conference but will focus on comments and recommendations on the draft from the stakeholders which will be incorporated into a report for COPAC's consideration.

4) Civil society, diplomats, the judiciary, local and international media and all other interested stakeholders will be allowed to observe the process

5) Other documents to be tabled at the 2nd all stakeholders Conference will be a list of constitutional principles used by Copac and the gap-filling document on international best practice.

As Civil society, we would like to commend COPAC for urgently addressing our concerns. However, we will continue to lobby to ensure that the views of civil society effectively inform the constitution making process. We will ensure that even beyond the 2nd all stakeholders' conference the whole national process is placed under the microscopic eye to avoid the manipulation of the process for partisan interests.

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