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(TALKZIMBABWE) 'Zim constitutional exercise in UK compromised'

'Zim constitutional exercise in UK compromised'
By: Our reporter
Posted: Thursday, August 5, 2010 6:10 pm

THE United Kingdom Diaspora constitution consultation initiative has been highjacked by the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, a source told The Zimbabwe Guardian on Wednesday.

An exercise meant to include the generality of Zimbabweans will include "presentations" by representatives of CZC, Mr Pedzisayi Ruhanya and Mr Dewa Mavhinga -- a move seen as threatening the impartiality of the process.

CZC -- a coalition of civic society groups in Zimbabwe -- has been criticised for its stance on the constitutional making process in Zimbabwe. One member of CZC, the National Constitutional Assembly led by Dr Lovemore Madhuku has dismissed the ongoing constitutional outreach process in Zimbabwe as "a farce".

CZC Programmes Manager Pedzisai Ruhanya has criticised the process saying President Mugabe's Zanu PF party was pleased with the constitutional process "because it is tilted in its favour".

Zimbabwean groups and individuals living in the UK are reported to have gathered in London on the 24th of October 2009 and formed the Zimbabwe Constitution Consultation UK (ZCC), to kickstart a non-partisan consultation process.

In their Memorandum of Understanding, ZCC elected a non-partisan taskforce to facilitate the constitution consultation process as part of a "disciplined and patriotic Zimbabwean grouping".

A Zimbabwean lawyer based in the UK and ZCC's legal lead, Mr Lloyd Msipa, criticised the inclusion of CZC on the agenda of this weekend's consultative meeting saying it would threaten the impartiality and non-partisanship of that process.

Speaking to The Zimbabwe Guardian on Wednesday, Mr Msipa expressed shock at the planned meeting with CZC.

“I am taken aback by the decision to meet with these people (Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition) taken by my colleagues in the ZCC.

"The last meeting we had as a group in Forest Gate (London) was on the 17th of July. We agreed, at that meeting, to begin our work in earnest, of consulting Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom.

"Our first public outreach was expected to be at the annual Zimbabwe Festival in London (Zimfest), scheduled to take place early in September where questionnaires were expected to be handed out to the Zimbabwean public”.

Mr Msipa distanced himself from the decision to meet "political activists" from CZC saying he felt that the action compromises the impartiality of the UK constitution consultation initiative.

He added that CZC was too aligned to one political party in Zimbabwe and therefore could not represent the impartial view that is needed in this process.

Mr Msipa said that Zimbabweans in the UK should make their contributions "without undue influence" from other groups.

A press statement released to the Zimbabwe Guardian by the Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Interface yesterday (ZDDI) confirms that CZC members Mr Ruhanya and Mr Mavhinga will present papers at the London meeting.

Mr Msipa says there is no need for such an "Extra-Ordinary meeting with the Zimbabwe Constitution Consultation UK". He feels that CZC will "highjack the work done by this group and further impose their own".

The press statement read in part, that the weekend gathering represents "the first opportunity for Zimbabweans in the UK to formally discuss their views on this most important national exercise".

"It follows on the coattails of statements by the two Deputy Prime Ministers, Ms Thokozani Khupe and Prof Arthur Mutambara on recent visits to the UK encouraging Zimbabweans to feed their views into the ongoing Copac public outreach process."

ZDDI representative Mr Chofamba Sithole said the inclusion of CZC was not meant to hijack the process. He added that they were "one voice among many" who were involved in the process.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE COALITION, DEWA MAVHINGA, LOVEMORE MADHUKU, NGOs, PEDZISAYI RUHANYA

posted by MrK @ 12:34 AM