Copac process: 'Vote No' campaign set to oppose

A constitutional pressure group is mounting a campaign to encourage Zimbabweans to vote against the outcome of the constitutional process.
 

The committee of parliament (Copac) process faces problems ranging from political interference to lack of cash for its programmes.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), which in 2000 successfully campaigned for a "No Vote" in the constitutional referendum, is pushing for a similar outcome of the exercise to Copac process.

The group argues that the whole exercise is "undemocratic" and suffers from political interference.

It has launched a grassroots-based campaign which aims to persuade Zimbabweans to reject the outcome of the process in a referendum, of which the date is yet to be determined.

"The campaign is calling on people to take charge of the constitution-making process," said Dr Lovemore Madhuku, NCA chairman and a constitutional law expert and campaigner for the new constitution.

The campaign is structured around small community meetings of about 40 to 100 people in every ward of Zimbabwe's districts.

"We are going to the real grassroots to explain why they should Vote No," said Madhuku.

Madhuku argued that Zimbabwean citizens must reject the outcome of the ongoing constitution-making process because they did not contribute to the process in a democratic manner.

In 2000, when citizens rejected the then proposed constitution, President Robert Mugabe's government simply continued using the 1979 Lancaster House Constitution.

Zimbabwe's constitution has been amended 19 times since independence in 1980 and is blamed for Zimbabwe's bad human rights record.

Asked if the rejection of the proposed constitution would not worsen the situation, Madhuku said: "We are between a rock and a hard place, but the only way to get a better constitution is to have a good start and that comes with the rejection of the draft coming out of this process."

He said the response from Zimbabweans for his campaign has been "overwhelming".

"There is a false notion that Zimbabweans will listen to their political parties. There are a few political activists in both Zanu-PF and MDC, but many Zimbabweans who will vote in the referendum are just ordinary people who can vote either way."

Madhuku said the draft that is going to be produced by the Copac process will largely reflect the views of Zanu-PF and a few elements from MDC, but it will also ultimately reflect the "balance of power in the government of national unity", which is heavily tilted towards Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party.

The constitutional process is critical to the future of the country because any future elections are to be held based on it as agreed in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed between Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara in September 2008.

The agreement also sets a benchmark for future elections based on security-sector reform, establishment of an independent Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the eradication of political violence.

Meanwhile, Mugabe has said he will not extend the lifespan of the GPA and will call for elections with or without a new constitution.

Meanwhile, the Copac process is in the drafting sta,Robert,Mugabe,ZANU,PF,MDC