THE row over the country’s new constitution escalated Monday with Zanu PF officials demanding the sacking of the drafters accusing them of producing a document that threatens the country’s national security.
A first draft of the new constitution released last week has angered Zanu PF over clauses that appear to limit the powers of the presidency as well as possibly bar President Robert Mugabe from seeking another term in office.
Mugabe, 88 this year, has led the country since independence in 1980. He nominated as Zanu PF’s candidate for elections the party insists must be held this year to replace the coalition government.
But a clause in the draft reads: "a person is disqualified for election as President if he or she has already held office for one or more periods, whether continuous or not, amounting to 10 years”
Charged politburo member professor Jonathan Moyo: "they (drafters) have failed to stick to the National Report and this simply means they are all incapable of taking us anywhere.
"The draft is a systematic attack on Zimbabwe where the drafters have become drifters by drifting away from the views of the people. This draft exposes the poverty of the inclusive Government.
"The drafters have failed and if they are not changed, it means there won't be any Constitution to talk of."
Another Zanu PF official and former ambassador to China, Christopher Mutsvangwa added: "The process has been corrupted by bad faith of the three drafters. They have abused the whole process to score political goals.
"The drafters have subverted the thinking of Zimbabweans and we should find people who are comfortable with what people said by using the National Report otherwise we will be held at ransom as is the case.”
Professor Lovemore Madhuku who heads the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) warned that the constitutional reform process would continue to be undermined by political brinksmanship between the three political parties leading the exercise.
"As long as the process exclusively remains in the hands of political parties, the draft constitution will remain a political game. Each provision there will reflect a political position of one party or the other,'' Madhuku told the Herald.
"That does not deserve to be described as a Constitution. This is what was rejected long ago because the draft does not reflect the views of the people and we will reject it if it comes that way.”
Writing a new constitution is part of a package of reforms expected to lead to fresh polls after the violent but inconclusive 2008 general elections.
But Professor Moyo said the process had failed and demanded that new elections be held under the existing constitution.
"It is only after elections that people can talk of a Constitution because one political party would be in charge," he said.
"We have Amendment 18 that was negotiated by the three political parties in Copac and that is enough to hold elections because they incorporate all Sadc guidelines for free and fair elections.
"The only way forward is elections, otherwise we would spend a decade trying to come up with a new Constitution."