] onWednesday Tsvangirai said the national project of Zanu PF at the moment is the power equation and not “about the suffering of millions of Zimbabweans at home and abroad”.
“As far as we are concerned, Zimbabwe needs a new holistic constitution that is people driven and people owned, without this there will be no solution to the burning national question of the day,” said Tsvangirai.
He described the proposed constitutional amendment number 18 as being both pre-emptive and contemptuous of the SADC negotiations being mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki.
“The message that Zanu PF is sending is loud and clear. It is oblivious and blind to the SADC
negotiations. It is simply not ready for genuine dialogue,” he said.
Tsvangirai also revealed that the opposition party was preparing itself for elections.
“We take note that time is now very limited but the 31st of March is not cast in stone. The dates for the elections will come from the process for a free and fair elections and we therefore call on SADC to remain focused on the 29 March 2007 resolution and to ensure that every party to the process remains committed and bonafide,” said Tsvangirai.
The proposed constitutional amendments seeks among other things to shorten the term of office of the president and make it run concurrently with parliament.
The bill also seeks to increase the number of members of the House of Assembly from the present 150 to 210. It also seeks to increase the number of senators from 66 to 84-CAJ News.