COPAC faces another hurdle

A workshop organised by Constitutional Select Parliamentary Committee for the MPs on the draft constitution public awareness was disrupted today

(Wednesday) following an outcry by MPs for outreach allowances.

The MPs demanded $100 per day to cater for their accommodation, food and transport in their respective constituencies.

" How do you expect us to campaign for a Yes vote without the necessary resources. We need allowances for food and transport. Last time during the COPAC outreach we did not get our allowances and we cannot carry on using our own resources for a national program," said Ray Kupesa, an MP for Makoni constituency.

Masvingo Central MP Passmore Chitando said government should suspend the program rather than to work with limited resources.

" The outreach will not be successful if there are inadequate funds.

We don't want people to go to the referendum without knowing what the draft constitution is all about," sad Chitando However COPAC Co-chairperson Paul Mangwana told MPs that there was never an inclusion of the provision of their outreach allowances.

" The COPAC budget does not have a provision for your allowances. The majority of the money we have is coming from donors to address certain specifications. Government is supposed to avail the money that should cater for your allowances but at the moment there is no money," he said Mangwana urged MPs to foster unity in their constituencies by emphasizing that the draft constitution was a collective effort of all people in Zimbabweans.

"Explain to people in your constituencies that there are no winners or losers in the process. It is a win situation for parties involved and at the end of it all it is the generality of Zimbabweans who won by having a progressive constitution.

"As you go for the outreach please avoid inflammatory and degrading language to people of different political parties. Do not reveal to the people what the party positions were before that adoption of the draft constitution,"

said Mangwana.

Government is currently facing financial constraints and it needs $250 million for the forthcoming constitutional referendum and elections expected sometime this year.