Zimbabwe’s leaders launched a programme on Wednesday to rewrite the nation’s constitution ahead of an election planned for next year.
The long-delayed programme to amend the constitution adopted after independence from British colonial rule in 1980 is already nine months behind schedule under an agreement forming a 16-month-old coalition government between President Robert Mugabe and former opposition leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, after the disputed 2008 election.
Wednesday’s launch ceremony started several hours late and scores of participants, including reporters, were barred entry at the main Harare convention centre by police who said they did not have official invitations or entry passes.
Addressing the gathering, Mugabe and Tsvangirai called for open dialogue on a 60-day “outreach” programme to canvass Zimbabweans for their views on a new constitution that would limit presidents to two five-year terms.
Mugabe (86), who has been in power in Zimbabwe since 1980, opposes that plan.
The coalition agreement calls for a new constitution ahead of a foreign-monitored election planned in 2011.
Delays
The programme to write a new constitution has been plagued by delays, bickering between coalition partners and shortages of cash to deploy lawmakers and officials to 2 860 meeting centres across the country over the next two months.
Douglas Mwonzora, one of the organisers from Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change party, said donors pledged $7-million for the programme.
But human rights groups and the independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network reported accusations of intimidation by Mugabe party militants to muzzle contributions by ordinary people to the constitutional debate.
The election support network said in a statement that its monitors in rural areas noted “many villagers have been warned against speaking in the outreach process. Some individuals have been nominated and told what to say. This pattern has been observed in areas which experienced violence in 2008.”
The organisation said it urged Zimbabweans “to be strong and express themselves in this very critical process”.
It said the nation’s police commanders, blamed for bias toward Mugabe’s party in years of political and economic turmoil, publicly declared they lacked cash and logistics to guarantee security during the constitutional programme.
Long delays so far and lack of clear publicity also endangered the programme aiming to finalise a new constitution by April 2011, followed by a new election.
“A hurriedly made constitution does Zimbabweans a disservice as this is the most important document in the governance of their country,” the organisation said.
Resurgence of political violence
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, meanwhile, forecast worsening food shortages in coming months. In its latest bulletin, it said a resurgence of political violence was disrupting production and distribution of food in Zimbabwe.
The unstable political environment forced more Zimbabweans to flee the country, with more than three million already living in neighbouring South Africa, it said.
Zimbabweans in self-exile, mainly economic fugitives, have asked to be included in the constitutional reform, but the outreach programme organisers acknowledge they have failed to set up a promised website in time.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai said on Wednesday a new, democratic, people-driven constitution would be the nation’s lasting legacy and his countrymen should resist intimidation in crafting it.
“All political parties have an obligation to ensure peace and cohesion,” he said.
Mugabe said his views on constitutional changes differed with those of others.
“I want people to say their own views. We have agreed there should be no violence,” he said, sitting alongside Tsvangirai. — Sapa-AP