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New Constitution-making process - Index of articles
COPAC
takes final bow
Women's Institute for Leadership Development
March 22, 2013
After a four-year
journey, the Parliamentary Constitutional Select Committee (COPAC)
is winding up its operations. The mandate of COPAC has been completed
as they have produced a people driven Draft Constitution. The 3.3
million voters
who participated in the Referendum attest to its success. Speaking
during a telephone interview with WILD, Copac co-chairperson Hon.
Douglas Mwonzora said "The Ministry of Constitutional and Parliamentary
Affairs would now take over the process until the document is signed
by the President."
The Constitutional
and Parliamentary affairs Minister, Hon. Eric Matinenga, confirmed
that no changes will be made to the Constitution. "We hope
to gazette the draft as a Constitutional Bill at the very latest
on March 28, which is next week while the publication of the results
will be done much more earlier," he said addressing journalists
in Harare.
According to
law the Constitutional Bill should be gazetted for 30 days before
it is taken to Parliament. If the two thirds majority required to
pass the Bill is obtained from the House of Assembly and Senate,
then it means the Bill will be placed before the President to become
supreme law of Zimbabwe.
Hon Mwonzora
said the most important thing was not the question of a date for
general elections but the conditions they will be held under. He
emphasized that the forthcoming general election will be held under
the regulations of the new Constitution.
COPAC says the
successful conclusion of the referendum is a historic accomplishment
for the nation and has given Zimbabweans experience on nation building.
"COPAC
Zimbabwe would like to congratulate the people and government of
Zimbabwe for holding a peaceful, credible constitutional referendum
on March 16. This historic step forward in the nation's development
of democracy and rule of law is part of an important process started
in 1980 to establish freedom for all Zimbabwean citizens,"
their Facebook page stated.
WILD would like
to thank and congratulate COPAC for a job well done and for engaging
and encouraging women to participate in the Constitution making
process. The Draft Constitution that has just passed through the
Referendum, once passed as law of this country, women will have
so much to celebrate. The political will shown by the GPA
principals and COPAC in ensuring for a gender-sensitive Constitution
is highly recommendable.
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