Conclusion of constitution exercise key to holding fresh elections

President Zumas facilitation team jetted into Harare on Monday and immediately went into a meeting with the three co-chairpersons of Parliaments Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) that is spearheading the drafting of a new constitution.

Douglas Mwonzora, the COPAC co-chair representing the MDC led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the facilitation team wanted to be updated on the process of the exercise. President Zumas team comprises Charles Nqakula, Mac Maharaj and Lindiwe Zulu.

We met them yesterday (Monday) and briefed them in detail on the exercise. We also gave them a rough time-table of when we think the program would be done, which is 30 September 2011. We told them of the problems troubling COPAC, including lack of resources which we said could slow down the exercise, Mwonzora said.

Mwonzora, who is also the MDC-T MP for Nyanga, said talk of an early election by political leaders was placing undue pressure and influence on people working on the draft constitution, adding that political rhetoric was contaminating the whole exercise.

The more leaders talk of an early election the less committed people working on the document become. Election talk poisons the process and we told that to the facilitation team, he said.

Asked if Zumas team had set any timelines for them to complete the exercise, Mwonzora said the team were more interested in seeing the completion of the program.

What they did highlight to us was that the conclusion of the constitution exercise is key to when elections will be held in Zimbabwe, Mwonzora added.

Zimbabwe is expected to call for fresh elections soon after the adoption or rejection of a new constitution.

The ZANU PF party, led by the 86 year old Robert Mugabe has been calling for early elections this year, despite confirmation that the redrafting of the constitution will only be completed in September. The constitutional reforms are seen by many as critical to a free and fair vote.

Mugabes party however endorsed his drive for early elections during its December conference in Mutare. Political analyst Promise Mkwananzi told SW Radio Africa that a rushed election without political reforms, including a new constitution guaranteeing basic rights, would only favour Mugabe and ZANU PF. Mugabe has held power since independence from Britain in 1980.

If President Zuma is a genuine mediator he should insist on the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement and see to it that the constitution program is not rushed just to suit one political party, Mkwananzi said.