Maravi

(NEWZIMBABWE) Minister blamed for constitution delays

Minister blamed for constitution delays
by
01/02/2010 00:00:00

THE Parliamentary and Constitutional Affairs Minister Advocate Eric Matinenga has been accused of “unnecessarily” delaying the constitutional reform process by entering into agreements with donor organisations without the knowledge and consent of cabinet.

The accusation was made by one of the parliamentary constitutional committee (COPAC) co-chairpersons Paul Mangwana who represents President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party.

Mangwana claimed that there were a lot of “offending” clauses in the agreement which Matinenga, a member of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party, had entered into with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The UNDP is the only major donor agency now funding the exercise after several others withdrew, apparently fed-up with the political bickering which continues to undermine the process.

However, Mangwana sought to underplay the political disagreements and instead blamed Matinenga’s dealings with the UNDP for the problems.

“There is no political bickering as far as the constitutional process is concerned. The issue is not about who should sign what and how. The issue revolves around the agreement that Minister Matinenga signed with the UNDP without the knowledge and approval of the constitutional management committee and the cabinet,” the Zanu Pf official said.

Mangwana added that the Constitutional affairs minister had over-reached his mandate when he endorsed the UNDP deal.

“The agreement was crafted in such a way that it sets the talking points for the committee, something that we felt was not going to be in the best interests of the people of Zimbabwe who should own the process.

“It was also felt that the minister had taken his duties too far since no minister should enter into any agreement with a foreign organization without the approval of the cabinet. There is need therefore for fresh negotiations and agreements with the UNDP,” he said.

Mangwana further highlighted that the constitutional reform process needed to be bankrolled to the tune of US$36 million adding that the UNDP had recently disbursed about US$18 million.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, COPAC, ERIC MATINENGA, UNDP

posted by MrK @ 6:20 AM