Zimbabwe suspends constitution talks

Zimbabwe has suspended its constitution making process following sharp differences within President Robert Mugabe’s unity government over a consultation process that is already behind schedule by several months.

The suspension, the latest setback for the process set to produce a new constitution to replace the one Zimbabwe adopted at independence in 1980, is just one indicator of the multiple challenges facing Mr Mugabe’s unity government.

A new constitution besides being a key result area for the transitional government formed in February last year would also lead to fresh elections to end the Southern African country’s long running political crisis.

According to the state media, the three governing parties suspended the outreach programme on the new constitution that was supposed to start last week because they could not agree on the people who would lead the process.

The Herald newspaper said members of the management committee responsible for the constitution making process drawn from the negotiators of the power sharing agreement were divided on the criteria for the selection of rapporteurs to accompany the outreach teams.

Some of them want the rapporteurs to be bound by the Official Secrets Act, a requirement that will close the door for non civil servants.

There are also reports that the process has also been hampered by lack of adequate funding.

Seventy teams were supposed to be deployed throughout the country to solicit for ordinary people’s views but they have been told to put their programmes on hold until the fresh dispute is resolved.

“All constitutional programmes have been suspended by the management committee.

“They felt there were other issues which needed attention before the outreach programme begins,” Mr Paul Mangwana, the co-chairperson of the parliamentary committee leading the process told the Herald.

“There are still disagreements on the composition of rapporteurs, but there are other more pressing issues, which have to be addressed like financial constraints.“Recording equipment is yet to be bought, cars haven’t been mobilised and rapporteurs are yet to be trained.

“Therefore, we cannot give a timetable of when the actual outreach will start because some of the issues are beyond our control as the Select Committee.”

The government allocated US$43 million for the process in this year’s budget and most of the money will come from donors.

The power sharing agreement signed by Mr Mugabe and his former rivals Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara had called for a new constitution in 18 months.

If the parties had stuck to the roadmap, a referendum on the new constitution would have been held in June leading to fresh elections.

Mr Tsvangirai has insisted there would no elections until the agreement is fully implemented despite calls for new elections by South African President Jacob Zuma.