XINHUA NEWS SERVICE REPORTS FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

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Zimbabwe P.M. Tsvangirai says S.A.D.C. may intervene

Zanu-PF’s document is not an amendment to the draft constitution but a completely re-written document that is at variance with what the people said
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HARARE (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai reiterated on Tuesday that his party will not agree to any negotiations on the emended draft constitution by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF.

He said even though he was yet to discuss the document with his co-principals in the inclusive government, his party was very unlikely to agree to any of Zanu-PF’s proposals.

He said the original draft constitution that was produced by the parliamentary select committee spearheading the crafting the new constitution (Copac), is the one that should be taken to the referendum.

“Zanu-PF’s document is not an amendment to the draft constitution but a completely re-written document that is at variance with what the people said.

“Let’s take the Copac draft constitution to the people. People should be the final arbiter, not three individuals,” he said at his monthly press briefing.

Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party recently unveiled its amendments to the original draft constitution that was produced by Copac, which represents the three parties in the inclusive government.

The two MDCs headed by Tsvangirai and Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube have endorsed the Copac draft constitution, and are both opposed to Zanu-PF’s amendments to the draft constitution.

Tsvangirai said in the event of a deadlock on the draft constitution, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will have to intervene and break the impasse.

SADC is the guarantor of the Global Political Agreement (GPA) that brought together Mugabe and Tsvangirai in an inclusive government in 2009 following disputed elections the previous year.

Tsvangirai said a new constitution was central to the holding of free and fair elections in Zimbabwe and described Zanu-PF’s amendments as a “slap in the face”.

“It’s a later day regret by Zanu-PF which has nothing to do with what the three parties in the inclusive government have agreed,” he said.

In the amended draft, Zanu-PF is opposed to dual citizenship, homosexuality, devolution of power to the provinces, trimming of presidential powers, replacement of the Attorney-General’s Office by a National Prosecuting Authority and nomination of running mates for presidential candidates as proposed in the draft constitution.

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Zimbabwe PM Tsvangirai’s party
says no deadlock on constitution
 

HARARE (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party on Monday said as far as it is concerned President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party has not declared a deadlock in the constitutional process.

“They have not declared a deadlock. It’s only people talking through the press who have said so,” MDC party spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said.

Asked what would happen if Mugabe’s party went on to declare a deadlock following the rejection of its proposed amendments to the draft constitution by the two other governing parties, Mwonzora said his party would not speculate on the way forward.

Spokesman for Mugabe’s party Rugare Gumbo said Saturday that the party would not be diverted from the amendments it had made to the draft constitution and hoped that the principals for the two MDC factions would endorse its proposals.

However, the parties have since rejected them, describing the amendments as an insult to the people of Zimbabwe. On its part, Zanu-PF is also saying that the amendments were made in the best interests of the people.

Among other things, Zanu-PF is against the proposed devolution of power to the provinces, acceptance of dual citizenship, trimming of presidential powers, replacement of the Attorney- General’s Office by a National Prosecuting Authority and nomination of running mates for presidential candidates as proposed in the draft constitution.

Work on the new constitution, intended to replace the one crafted at Lancaster House, London, in 1979 ahead of the country’s independence from Britain in 1980, started in 2009. Initially, the new constitution had been meant to be out in 18 months, but a combination of party squabbles and limited funding slowed down the process.

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