The organization however defended the March 16 referendum date saying a lot of work needs to be done after the referendum vote Addressing journalists and representatives of civic organizations in Masvinvingo COPAC co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora said Zimbabweans were not given enough time to scrutinize the draft.
“People were not given enough time to read the draft but we have to understand that the referendum date was arrived at considering a lot of things”, said Mwonzora.
“Firstly it was about making sure that people read the draft and secondly it was to make sure that the big work that lies ahead before the polls is done on time”.
“We need now to re-align our laws so that they conform to the new constitution “said mwonzora.
“We also made a consideration that this document is better than the Lancaster house one. I have listened to supporters of ZANU PF and theMDC and they think the document should be improved somehow which means we did not produce the draft to score party political points”, said Mwonzora who is also the mdc-t spokesman.
Mwonzora said the document was in short supply and some people did not have a chance to read it adding that it was one of their short comings.
He said the draft if adopted will ensure that the country goes for elections in better political environment.
The admission by COPAC that no amble time was given to Zimbabweans to read the draft comes when the high court threw out an application by the National Constitutional Assembly NCA to have the referendum date move forward by at least three months.
Meanwhile in one of the bizarre incidents a Chivi, man was sent back from a polling station without casting his ballot after he brought a cattle recording book to cast his vote.
Lameck Muungani shocked polling officers in Chivi when he brought the cattle registration book as an identification document.
He argued that the book was the only identification document he had since he lost his national identity card and had no money to go and get another one.
“We were at pains to explain to him that we wanted national identity cards or passports as he angrily demanded to cast his vote”, said a polling officer who refused to be named.
Post published in: News