Zimbabwe: Donors "abandon" civil society lobby over new constitution.

Text of report by privately-owned weekly newspaper The Zimbabwe Independent website on 18 June

[Unattributed report: "NCA Broke as Financiers Bale Out"]

The Lovemore Madhuku-chaired National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) is broke after being abandoned by its traditional financial backers who have expressed confidence in the inclusive government's constitution-making process.

Traditional donors, mainly Western governments, have withdrawn their support from the NCA and opting to put resources in the government process to be led by a 25-member parliamentary select committee.

The assembly is embarking on a rural campaign to raise money from "peasants" …