HARARE Zimbabwes constitutional committee has said it hopes to produce a new draft constitution only by next February, which could see fresh elections that were initially earmarked for 2011 further delayed. Joint-chairman of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) driving the reforms Munyaradzi-Paul Mangwana said that the constitution making process was several months behind schedule, with a key exercise to solicit the views of ordinary Zimbabweans on the new constitution that should have been completed last November now expected to only begin next April.
A referendum on the draft charter that initially was planned for mid-2010 can only take place around February next year according to Mangwana, a member of President Robert Mugabes ZANU PF party and one of the three chairmen of the COPAC.
Assuming we get funds soon February next year is the (earliest we can) have a new constitution in Zimbabwe. Do not ask us (COPAC) about elections. That will be for the principals to decide, said Mangwana, who was addressing journalist at national press club in Harare last week.
Mangwana said a shortage of funding was the main obstacle to constitutional reforms that are part of requirements of the power sharing agreement or global political agreement (GPA) signed by ZANU PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC-T and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambaras MDC-M two years ago.
The September 2008 GPA is the foundation of Zimbabwes coalition government and the document, among other things, calls for a new and democratic constitution that should lead to the holding of free and fair elections.
Mangwana said: The constitution is one of the key deliverables of the GPA but funding from government has been insufficient. We are still pleading with Government to take its responsibilities of funding the process seriously. We cant set time frames under the GPA for something whose funds we dont have.
Post published in: Politics