MDC-T NCA split deepens

The MDC-T has maintained that it will endorse the new constitution that will emerge from the controversial Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) process, just days after the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) expelled it for participating.

On Sunday the NCA announced that it had fired the MDC-T from its organisation because it actively supports COPAC. It also says the party had 'expelled itself' by not attending committee meetings for the past two years.

A NCA statement said; "The decision was made after the realisation that the MDC-T's participation and involvement in the COPAC process is in total deviation from the principles and vision of the NCA, whose vision is a new democratic people driven constitution.

It was also noted that the MDC-T has not been attending NCA Taskforce meetings since 2009 and thus they also automatically expelled themselves from the Assembly since the constitution of the NCA is quite clear that a member institution is deemed expelled if its representative fails to attend four consecutive taskforce meetings without notification."

The NCA has also expelled around 30 other civic groups who have either been supporting COPAC or not attending NCA meetings. Included in this list are ZimRights, Bulawayo Agenda and Transparency International Zimbabwe.

The MDC-T admits that the COPAC process is flawed, as it has been characterised by violence and intimidation inflicted on people by ZANU PF. Despite this it says it will endorse a new constitution.

On Monday, MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said that regardless of the flaws in the process, the constitution being drafted may turn out to be good and hence will be endorsed by his party.

"The aim is to endorse the constitution, it's not fair to reject the constitution without seeing it first," Mwonzora said, "We are in the process of compiling the information from which the drafters will write the constitution and I can tell you that the information that is there is very good."

However, the MDC- T say that even if the new constitution is not perfect, they will endorse it anyway and arrange for a new one if they get into power. "That's when we envisage that you can have an ideal environment. We think that the environment of intimidation and violence will exist as long as ZANU PF is there," Mwonzora explained.

This position contrasts with that of the NCA, which is urging Zimbabweans to reject the COPAC draft constitution. The NCA has been condemning the parliament led constitution process since its inception two years ago, arguing that the supreme law of the country should be spearheaded by an independent body.

It maintains people did not write the constitution themselves and the proposed constitution will be below the standard required for a democratic constitution.

It is expected that COPAC's thematic committees will complete their work this month, and an 18-member panel will then produce the first draft constitution. COPAC hopes to conclude the constitution-making process by September.