A UK based lawyer, Brighton Mutebuka, has criticised the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)’s constitution, which is currently circulating on social media, as being flawed and compromising constitutionalism.
In a series of comments posted on his Twitter page, Mutebuka said that the constitution was drafted in secrecy, with minimum consultation, and gave too much power to the party leader, Nelson Chamisa.
Mutebuka said that he understood the need for the CCC to avoid infiltration and costly splits, which have plagued the opposition movement in Zimbabwe, but argued that the party should have also balanced that with embracing international best practices and safeguards. He said that the constitution created avoidable reputational harm for the party and its leader, and failed to anticipate and pre-empt the criticism that would arise from the regime and its supporters.
Mutebuka urged the CCC to lick its wounds quietly and work to address the concerns that have been raised, while still working to preserve the movement. He said that Zimbabwe was a nation plagued by serial coups, soft and hard coups, and that no single party or entity could claim supremacy when it comes to constitutionalism.
The CCC is a Zimbabwe opposition political party that was formed by Chamisa in January 2022, after he lost the squabbles over the party name “MDC Alliance” to Douglas Mwonzora, who took over the party and recalled most of Chamisa’s allies from parliament.
The CCC has adopted yellow as its new colour and raising the index finger as its new symbol. The party is yet to officially launch its constitution and manifesto.
