SW Radio Africa (London)
Tichaona Sibanda
6 July 2009
MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai on Sunday dismissed attempts by ZANU PF to force the Kariba draft constitution on the people, saying it is up to the people to decide and no one should impose a solution on them.
He said the process to draft a new constitution was not about individuals or political parties, but a people-centred initiative, which should involve everyone. The MDC leader told a party rally in Marondera that the new constitution should outlive the politicians.
Tsvangirai's comments were a reference to Robert Mugabe's rallying call to ZANU PF supporters that the new constitution must be anchored in the Kariba Draft, that was agreed to by ZANU PF and the two MDC formations on September 30, 2007.
'The constitution is not about individuals or political parties. The people must define the future of this country by writing their own constitution which should outlive the politicians,' Tsvangirai said.
'So let us not miss this opportunity. Let us work together so that there is no sliding back to violence,' he added. Civil society organizations have also come out in the open castigating politicians for wanting to have an undue influence on the process.
Over 2000 delegates who attended the 2009 People's Constitutional Convention from Friday to Saturday in Harare unanimously agreed not to use the Kariba draft as a reference point.
Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said conclusions drawn up at the end of the two day convention highlighted the need for ordinary Zimbabweans and not politicians to have more input into the drafting of the constitution.
Muchemwa told us delegates demanded that in a democracy sovereignty must rest with 'the people'. There can be no higher authority, no-one who can tell the people they can't have what they ultimately want.
'Basically what they were saying was they should be masters of their own destiny, free and equal and empowered to decide the next constitution of Zimbabwe,' Muchemwa said.
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Moltecc - have you bothered reading the GPA? It does not appear so. The GPA appends the Kariba Draft only insofar as the sections on Human Rights and Independent Commissions can be incorporated into the existing constitution. The GPA does not say that the new constitution should be premised on the Kariba Draft; in fact the GPA says the very opposite when it explicitly states that the new constituton can only be constructed by the people and not by politicians alone. What are you concerned about? Do you have a problem with the people being consulted?
Hi Tichaona I beg you to tell the world the truth. ZanuPf is not imposing the draft on anyone. The Kariba draft was document which was part of the GNU draft. Mugabe was merely telling MDC why they are making a U-turn from what was agreed. The country right cannot afford this process. How can you go ahead with this process when teachers are going on strike over pay. How can you go ahead with this process when the cost of living is rising again. Surely ZanuPF and MDc must put the living on top of anything. Hamheno na Tichaona achinyepa zvake kuti arambe ari London.