A spokesman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Maddock Chivasa announced the move after a meeting of the NCA, which is a coalition of local churches, unions and human rights groups, this week.
He said both the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the ruling party should expect mass protests if they signed the draft constitutional bill.
“The NCA wants to clarify to the MDC and Zanu (PF) that their intention to come and impose a constitution in Zimbabwe will be morally and principally denied by Zimbabweans,” Chivasa told The Zimbabwean.
“We will mobilise the people of Zimbabwe to resist and reject any constitution imposed on them by greedy politicians of the day. The draft document which has been agreed on by the MDC and Zanu (PF) remains an agreement between them and cannot be a constitution for Zimbabwe.”
The talks, brokered by the SADC, are currently being held under the facilitation of President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. The two parties adjourned last week to allow the ruling party delegation to attend their extra-ordinary congress last week.
Although details of the provisions in the new draft constitution remains sketchy, the NCA said the future of Zimbabwe could not be entrusted to Zanu (PF) and MDC.
“The NCA is aware of the dangers of trusting politicians to secretly decide on issues that affect the nation,” Chivasa said. “The move by the political parties to write the constitution of the country undermines the fundamental principles of democracy and constitutionalism. Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans and the people should be accorded the right to shape a future they want.”
The NCA spearheaded the successful campaign against a new constitution in February 2000, which gave President Mugabe his first ever electoral defeat.
Zimbabwe has not had a popular constitution since gaining independence from Britain in 1980, following a protracted liberation struggle against the rebel Rhodesian Government of the late Ian Smith.
The country has been operating on the cease fire document, signed at Lancaster House in Britain in 1979.
Chivasa said Zimbabweans will deny the draft constitution that will be signed by the political parties this week on the basis that citizens never gave any mandate to MDC and Zanu (PF) to write a constitution of the country on their behalf.
“The NCA wants to make it clear that irregardless of what Zanu (PF) and MDC will agree on, the people of Zimbabwe will continue pushing for a new people driven constitution which guarantee them social, political and economic rights,” he said.
However, political analysts are skeptical and say unless the political culture in the country changes, a new constitution would not necessarily transform Zimbabwe into a democratic society. However Chivasa said: “A leadership that comes out of a bogus election will remain illegitimate and controversial in the eyes of all stakeholders.”