Imposing Kariba draft is anti-democratic

The Kariba Draft that Zanu PF is trying to impose on the people is not only disastrous but a threat to democracy and the people of Zimbabwe should reject it, the MDC deputy-treasurer Elton Mangoma has said.

Addressing mayors and councillors from across the country in Harare this week, Mangoma said the Kariba Draft was a compromise document with flawed aspects, which mainly concentrated on the power of the Presidency.

“The Kariba draft was a stop gap measure crafted by the negotiators from the country’s three main political parties to ensure that the 2008 elections were free and fair.  So the draft was only a draft document, which Zanu PF refused to implement anyway before the election of 2008 as previously agreed. We cannot impose a stop-gap document as a Constitution for the people when the people themselves can make their own Constitution,” said Mangoma.

“The process must be people-driven and the content should come from the people.  As the MDC, we are not going to dictate to the people,” said  Mangoma, who is also the Minister of Economic Planning and Development and an MDC negotiator during the SADC-brokered talks.

He also said the chairperson who will head the Constitution-making process after the first All-Stakeholders conference to be held this week should be an independent person who is not aligned to any political party.

Addressing the same meeting, MDC local government secretary, Senator Sessel Zvidzai urged the mayors and councillors to mobilise people in their local authorities to take part in the Constitution-making process in the respective wards.

“As councillors, you have a duty to mobilise people from your wards to attend public hearings as this is the only opportune moment that the country will get in strengthening the local authorities,” he said.

At least 5 000 people from all walks of life will converge at the Harare International Conference Centre for the first All-Stakeholders conference from 10 to 12 July 2009.

The new people-driven Constitution is expected to lead to free and fair elections and a truly democratic country, in line with the provisions of the GPA.