The Parliamentary Constitutional Select Committee (Copac) has distanced itself from the ongoing squabbles in Zanu PF over leaked documents saying the party had the right to withdraw and second new representatives.
Zanu PF recently withdrew Guruve South legislator Edward Chindori-Chininga from Copac after its co-chairperson in the body Paul Munyaradzi Mangwana, accused the MP of leaking information to the MDC parties.
Copac co-chairman Edward Mkhosi said Zanu PF would be left to decide Chindori-Chininga’s fate.
“Their issue is purely a domestic one and has to be solved at political party level,” said Mkhosi who represents MDC.
“Drafting cannot be conducted by one party and should be a consensus by the three political parties in Copac and there was no way we could have allowed a smuggled draft.” Meanwhile, Copac has completed the framework for the new constitution.
“We have completed developing the framework, which the drafters would use and this entails developing the principles under each chapter, for example, under powers of the Executive,” he said.
Mkhosi said the next stage would be drafting, but it was not clear when it would start since the drafters needed to be notified on time so they could be excused from their work commitments.
Botswana-based Justice Moses Chinhengo, lawyers Priscilla Madzonga and Brian Crozier were chosen to draft the constitution to replace the Lancaster House charter.
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“Apart from the three drafters, each party will second five people to the drafting process and the select committee. Co-chairs will also take part,” Mkhosi said.
After that stage, the draft constitution will be presented to the Second All Stakeholders Conference before it is taken to Parliament for debate leading to a referendum next year.
