Mugabe says Zimbabwe elections in a year
By NOZIPHO MASEKO
Published on: 4th March, 2010
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ZIMBABWE – HARARE – Zimbabwe could hold elections next year when the two-year subsistence period accorded the inclusive Government by the Global Political Agreement ends, whether or not a new constitution is in place.
In a meeting at Zimbabwe House yesterday with editors of media organisations operating in the country, President Mugabe said while no one could predict when the constitution-making process would end, the inclusive Government’s time was legally limited.
“If the constitution-making process succeeds there will be an election and if it fails that too will lead to an election.
“No one knows when that will be but the GPA has a lifespan of about two years.
“Constitution-making has been slow because of the problems of resources and the GPA expires in February next year.
“But then we can always sit down (as the party principals) and decide which way to go as long as it is constitutional and that’s the way we will go. We will be guided by the constitution,” the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces said.
President Mugabe said the elections would be harmonised as mandated by the constitution though local government polls might not be held.
Asked if the populace was ready for elections despite the perceived slow pace of reconciliation and healing efforts, President Mugabe said: “National healing depends on how parties conduct their campaigns and themselves.
“It depends on how the leadership conducts itself. What finally happens on the ground depends on the parties themselves. But of course a lot can be done to avoid violence.”
President Mugabe said if Zanu-PF asked him to stand in a Presidential race next year he would contest.
“If Zanu-PF says yes, I will go.”
According to the GPA, Parliament is supposed to lead a constitution-making process that should be complete in about 18 months after the signing of the agreement followed by a referendum for the citizenry to decide whether or not they accept the proposed supreme national law.
That will be followed by elections.
According to that timeline, the election would have been scheduled for at the earliest late this year but more likely in 2011.
However the process is behind schedule due to funding and other constraints.
President Mugabe said, “We are currently working on a new constitution but there have been some hitches.
“I don’t know of any country in the world which has organised a constitution-making process in such an elaborate way.
“We are going to each and every community. Normally the leadership writes a draft that they present to the people in a referendum but we are going to every community.
“Of course we have some groups who are opposed to this and say that it is not people-driven, people like (Lovemore) Madhuku but I suppose this is because he has been ignored.
“He has done his own draft and I don’t know if it is people-driven.”
On the issue of financing the process he said government was looking at the advisability of having the programme donor-funded.
He said donors would naturally want to have a say in how their money was used and what went into the constitution and they had to be wary of this.
President Mugabe said he was pleased with the way the inclusive Government had performed to date and said they were becoming more united by the day.
“So far so good,” he said.
The Zimbabwean leader said he now wanted to see the unity shown by the executive cascading to all levels of society.
