The MDC has said it will use all the available platforms to
halt the random constitutional amendments proposed by Zanu PF, which the
opposition party says are moves by the ruling party to consolidate its
stranglehold on power.
The Nelson Chamisa-led opposition party on Friday called on
citizens including civil society, the clergy and labour movements, to defend
the Constitution. The party said what was required were reforms that enabled
the country to move forward.
Cabinet last week approved Constitutional Amendment Bill
2019 which repeals section 92 of the Constitution dealing with presidential running
mates, giving the President power to hire and fire his deputies as well as
appoint and promote judges.
Chamisa last week led a delegation of top party leadership
to Bulawayo for National Standing Committee, National Executive and Structures
meetings.
Addressing journalists in Bulawayo, MDC spokesperson,
Daniel Molekele said as a party they were opposed to systematic constitutional
amendments being carried out by Zanu PF and called on all Zimbabweans to defend
the Constitution.
“We are strongly against the constitutional amendments
because it negates the gains of the 2013 Constitution. As the MDC we will use
all platforms that are available for us to contest against any changes of the
Constitution,” Molokele said.
“We will make sure that we contest in Parliament and all
public spheres, we will even engage on a diplomatic initiative. We will go
international and bring attention to this attempt to negate the democratic
gains as gained in the 2013 Constitution.”
“We will come up with an advocacy campaign, we are calling
civil society, faith-based leaders, labour movements, students, youth, women
and every interested stakeholder to defend the Constitution of the country,”
Molokele said.
He said their actions will not be a political process, but
a national process. “This Constitution was enacted after a referendum in 2013
and we are saying people of Zimbabwe if we allow Zanu PF to change the
Constitution like any other act of Parliament we will have a big problem,” he
said.
Molokele said the party condemns the actions of Speaker of
the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda who has succumbed to pressure and reduced
Parliament to a captured entity.
“The party will escalate its quest to safeguard the
independence of Parliament to appropriate international bodies,” Molokele said.
Last week opposition MPs confronted Mudenda over the
alleged bias over Zanu PF. Newsday
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