Harare — Some Members of Parliament have stopped participating in the constitutional outreach programme citing low and erratic payment of allowances.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday, Copac co-chairperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora confirmed that some legislators had called it quits.

"Some Members of Parliament and outreach members left the programme. We did not inquire the reasons for their pullout because this is a voluntary programme and anyone can move out," he said.

Mr Mwonzora refused to name the legislators. Sources yesterday gave conflicting figures with some saying three legislators had turned their backs on Copac while others put the figure at five.

"They said they could make more money doing their own things in Harare than by going on the outreach," a source said. Another insider said some MPs were trying to coerce support staff into going on strike in a bid to have their conditions of service improved.

"We are operating under very difficult conditions characterised by late payments of the allowances while accommodation is difficult to secure in some areas. "Some have resorted to asking drivers and other support staff to strike so that all our grievances are addressed," the source said. He said it was easier for support staff to take action unlike MPs who were required to report back to their parties on why they chose to walk out.

About 170 legislators were seconded by the three parties to the Global Political Agreement parties to participate in the constitution-making process. MPs are getting US$25 a day, but Copac sources said the management committee had since approved a review of the allowa-nces to US$75 a day.

Supporting staff such as rapporteurs are getting US$100 a day while drivers are receiving US$15 in allowances over and above a monthly salary ranging between US$150 and US$280.

Although MPs were complaining about low allowances, it emerged that most of them had hired out their vehicles to Copac and were reportedly getting between US$80 and US$100 a day. This means by the end of the progra-mme, every MP who hired out his/her vehicle to Copac will get US$8 800 apart from the daily allowances.

Copac has over 1 000 staff - including drivers and technicians - taking part in the outreach. The committee had budgeted US$8,5 million for the outreach and the figure is set to rise should the proposed allowance increases be effected. Meanwhile, statistics released by Copac yesterday show that out of 1 212 meetings held countrywide since the start of the outreach on June 15, only 212 155 people attended.

This translates to an average of 200 people per meeting. The numbers also showed that more women than men were attending the meetings. Copac said 88 424 women (42,6 percent), 84 432 men (39,7 percent) and 38 533 youths (18,1 percent) had attended so far.

The three Mashonaland provinces are currently topping the attendance register with 104 688 participants in 491 meetings, followed by Manicaland with 31 880 participants in 163 meetings, while Masvingo mobilised 31 551 participants in 158 outings. Matabeleland North and South and Bulawayo are trailing with 22 614 participants in 193 meetings while 21 412 people attended outreach meetings in Midlands.

Mr Mwonzora said Copac co-chairs visited the Matabeleland provinces to investigate the low turnout and cited inadequate publicity for the poor attendance. "We are devising new methods for greater participation of youths and we are going to target universities and colleges," Mr Mwonzora said.

He said in some areas youths had been misled that the outreach meetings were for adults only.