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This article participates on the following special index pages:
New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
MDC
rejects imposition of Kariba Draft Constitution
Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC)
June 26,
2009
The MDC is deeply concerned
by the attempts by Zanu PF and President Robert Mugabe to impose
the Kariba draft as the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The MDC held
an extra-ordinary national executive meeting on Tuesday, 23 June
2009, and resolved to reject any attempt by Zanu PF to foist the
Kariba draft,
or any other draft, on the people of Zimbabwe.
The Kariba Constitution
was a compromise document drafted by three political parties and
initialed on 30 September 2007 to minimize the possibility of a
contested election result in 2008, in line with a SADC resolution
that had given birth to the dialogue. It was an interim Constitution
that was meant to be used only for the 2008 election, but on 4 December
2007, Zanu PF refused to implement the Kariba draft. Its function
and intended purpose therefore died on 4 December 2007 because of
Zanu PF's intransigence. Zanu PF cannot resurrect a document
meant for the 2008 election which they rejected and turned down
in December 2007. They must not be allowed to sneak it through the
backdoor when Zimbabweans have ample time to make their own Constitution.
Contrary to
the Zanu PF position as expressed in today's issue of The
Herald, Article V1 of the GPA
does not make any reference to the Kariba draft, let alone making
it a sacred document of higher status than the many drafts that
are available nationally. Article V1 of the GPA says the Constitution-making
process "must be owned and driven by the people and must be
inclusive and democratic." Zanu PF must not be allowed to
unilaterally renegotiate the GPA by misrepresenting facts and elevating
the status of the Kariba draft.
The MDC is a party of
excellence. We believe that the people are at the epicenter of any
national process. We believe in a truly people-driven Constitution-making
process. We reject the attempt by Zanu PF to prejudge the people
by shoving the Kariba draft down their throats. The unfettered will
of the people must be allowed to prevail and in the end, we must
have a Constitution of the people, for the people and by the people
themselves.
Zanu PF's fear
of the people is understandable. They were rejected by the people
in the election of 29 March 2008 and they now want to enforce a
Constitution on the people in the absence of unfettered participation
by the people themselves. We are positive that the people will once
again reject the prospects of narrow political interests hijacking
an important national process.
Together to the end,
marching to a new Zimbabwe.
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