THE decision by the principals of the Global Political Agreement to set up a committee to renegotiate the draft constitution is not only disturbing and disheartening, but also a revelation of how weak and unprincipled Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is.
NewsDay Editorial
Despite having told all who cared to listen in the last four months that the MDC-T would not renegotiate the draft constitution crafted by Copac, Tsvangirai on Monday spectacularly capitulated to President Robert Mugabe’s demands for principals to lead the final stages of the constitution-making process.
He did this in violation of his party’s executive committee and national council resolutions and provisions of the GPA — giving credence to those who claim that Tsvangirai is an indecisive and unprincipled leader who bears the impression of the last person to have sat on him.
The MDC-T’s national executive met on July 28 and was satisfied that the “draft constitution essentially captures the views of the people of Zimbabwe”. Six days later, the national council congregated and recommended to “Zimbabweans to vote ‘YES’ for the constitution in the referendum”.
The party was satisfied that the draft charter had progressive provisions on dual citizenship, a strong parliament, an accountable president and the creation of independent commissions.
It was also elated that the draft had the provision of an expanded and comprehensive Bill of Rights that guarantees equality of all persons and provided for economic, social and cultural rights; the devolution of power to the provinces; the establishment of a national prosecuting authority, the constitutional court; and freedom of the media.
It boggles the mind as to why Tsvangirai has decided to go against his party’s resolutions and reopened negotiations on the draft constitution. His action has rubbished the good fight the MDC-T co-chairperson in Douglas Mwonzora and party secretary-general Tendai Biti had put in Copac and the management committee to stop Zanu PF in its devious tracks to hijack the constitution-making process.
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The setting-up of a committee to look into the so-called contentious issues of the draft constitution is merely meant to accommodate Mugabe and Zanu PF and their 200 amendments. We are stunned why Tsvangirai is not seeing through these Zanu PF machinations. Either the Premier is ignorant of the procedures or he is negotiating for his personal aggrandisement.
The Premier’s Monday summersault has divided his party at a time when it must be united to ensure that Zimbabweans get the constitution they deserve. Tsvangirai should stick to principles — what is left of them.
He should go back to Mugabe and tell him that the setting-up of the committee does and will not wash. We need the draft to be taken to Parliament and later to the referendum as stipulated in the GPA. Any other process is illegitimate and unacceptable and is nothing short of short-changing the people of Zimbabwe.
