Addressing delegates to the COPAC, second all-stakeholders conference that opened in Harare, Mugabe said a peaceful conference that agrees upon a new constitution will help pave the way for national elections, in March.
He urged participants at the conference to ‘shame our detractors who say Zimbabweans cannot solve their problems without violence.’
The previous all-stakeholders conference on constitutional reform was abandoned in 2009 after violent disruptions by ZANU PF militants, led by war vets leader Joseph Chinotimba.
‘There will certainly be elections in March next year, hatinyangire vanhu (We will not ambush people). Even when we go for elections our campaigns must be clean,’ Mugabe.
Tsvangirai, in his address, said the success of the conference will mean the remaining stages of creating a new constitution will be completed successfully, starting with the debate in Parliament right through to the referendum.
‘In all this, I would like Zimbabweans to be tolerant of each other’s views and to work towards the good of the nation. We should remember that the important national process of constitution-making is about the future of our country.
‘We do not want a repeat of the scenes of the first All Stakeholders Conference. We have certainly matured politically and I hope that this maturity will be exhibited during this conference. It is important to see beyond our differences to build a better Zimbabwe for all,’ he said.
But the country’s Civil Society Organizations pointed out that Zimbabwe won’t be ready for elections until fundamental democratic reforms are implemented.
Macdonald Lewanika, the director for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, said reforms should be instituted first for a free and fair election that allows for the peaceful transfer of state power to a democratically elected government.
The last elections held in 2008 were roundly condemned by the international community after violence claimed the lives of over 500 supporters of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party. Tens of thousands of people were tortured and hundreds of thousands were displaced.
‘The country is not ready for elections on the strength of reforms that have not taken place, on the strength of elements of the GPA that have not been resolved and on the strength of pervasive negative political culture that still sweeps across the country.
‘If Mugabe can deal with these things we can say that yes elections can be held in March, but so far he’s not done anything to demonstrate that there is a possibility for elections in March,’ Lewanika said.
If anything, he added, Mugabe speech’s on Monday was full of double speak. He said at one time his speech was indicative of someone summoning people to a fight.
While both the MDC formations have agreed to the draft constitution, Mugabe and his ZANU PF have been dragging their feet over the document.
Nelson Chamisa, the national organizing secretary of the MDC-T, also recently said the next election cannot be free or fair unless concrete reforms are undertaken.
‘If conditions prevailing during the date proclaimed by Mugabe give security of the vote, voter, and freedom after the vote then there is nothing which can stop elections, but if those things are not put in place, then this will be another sham election,’ Chamisa said. SW Radio Africa
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