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party’s position as they overlooked key issues, party spokesperson, Cde Rugare Gumbo, said yesterday.

 

The negotiators, he said, compromised on certain provisions in the draft.

“There are certain areas which negotiators did not seem to appreciate the sensitivity of the party,” he said.

“They were looking for compromises and not the party cause. It makes a difference when people indulge in compromise and the party should do something about it.”

Cde Gumbo said Zanu-PF did not reject the draft constitution, but was merely improving some of its provisions.

He said other parties in the inclusive Government should take the party’s views into consideration.

Zanu-PF Copac management committee member Cde Patrick Chinamasa yesterday said he could not comment on the accusation that the representatives made unnecessary concessions.

“I am not commenting at all about that issue,” he said.

Political analysts yesterday said time for Copac to dictate the pace in the constitution making process was over and the way forward rested with the GPA principals.

The analysts said it was clear that the principals would have a final say on the draft constitution.

They said it would be costly to Government and donors if political parties push a contentious document to the referendum, which the people would reject.

The MDC formations have endorsed the draft constitution in its current form and indicated that further debate is closed until the all-stakeholders’ conference.

They also said principals to the GPA did not have anything to do with the draft.

Zanu-PF audited the document and recommended amendments, saying some of the provisions in the proposed constitution deviated from the people’s views.

Political analyst Dr Charity Manyeruke said every political party in the GPA was important and its concerns should be taken on board.

“No political party should be ignored in the GPA,” she said.

“This is a lifetime document that should be carefully scrutinised and negotiated.

“We have to be objective than taking constitution-making like an electoral process. They (MDC) might have finished consulting, but I don’t think they did it thoroughly,” said Dr Manyeruke.

Zanu-PF is putting its amendments into legal language and will hand them over to the principals after the Heroes’ and Defence Forces’ holidays.

Ex-Zimbabwe Union of Democrats leader Mrs Margaret Dongo said there was no shortcut to democracy.

“If they (MDC) are democratic as they claim to be, other political parties should be allowed to air their views on the draft,” she said.

Mrs Dongo said taking a problematic document to the referendum would be costly.

“They have spent over $45 million on the process and if they go to a referendum divided, it would be rejected and it means starting all over,” she said.

“The parties need to accommodate each other if we are to have a new constitution.”

National Constitutional Assembly chairman Professor Lovemore Madhuku said his organisation would have nothing to do with the draft constitution.

“We no longer have much to say except to say we are against the process,” he said

“This is what happens when you allow politicians to take lead of an important process like this one.”

Contested areas in the draft constitution include national objectives and foundations, the significance of the liberation struggle, the appointment of provincial governors, the establishment of the constitutional court and the tenure of the GPA, to mention just a few.