ERIC MATINENGA . . . Constitutional Affairs Minister

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s constitutional committee says a key exercise to consult citizens on the proposed new governance charter cannot go ahead without police backing, in the latest obstruction to the crucial reforms that are already behind schedule.

Bickering among the three governing parties over funding for the reforms and personnel to collate the people’s views and ideas during the public outreach programme has seen the reforms miss several targets already.

Any further hold ups could mean fresh elections to be held under a new constitution and earmarked for next year might have to be delayed.

Douglas Mwonzora, a joint-chairman of the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC), said the committee had put on hold the outreach exercise because it could not send teams to interview the public without police cover.

Mwonzora, from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party said police chief Augustine Chihuri was demanding US$2.9 million to meet transport and upkeep costs for 1 000 officers who would accompany COPAC officials in the field.

But it is money the committee says it does not have and should not be paying in the first place because constitutional reforms are a national project that the police should support free of charge.

He said: “We are not moving anywhere until we have police escort. We know that some rogue elements opposed to democracy might want to attack our outreach teams.”

Rejecting police demands for payment for their services Mwonzora said: “It will be tantamount to buying state protection if COPAC is to pay the police. The police must be funded by the government of Zimbabwe and not COPAC.”

Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena could not be reached for comment on the matter.

Mwonzora said his committee had forwarded Chihuri's request for funding to Tsvangirai’s office, the COPAC management-committee and other relevant ministries.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Godern Moyo confirmed receiving the COPAC letter but referred questions to Constitutional Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga.

Matinenga was not immediately available on Thursday for comment on the matter.

The proposed new constitution is part of a September 2008 power-sharing deal between Tsvangirai, President Robert Mugabe and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara that gave birth to the Harare coalition government last February.

But the credibility of the reform exercise has been tainted by reports of alleged violence and intimidation by soldiers and supporters of Mugabe’s ZANU PF party campaigning for the adoption of the controversial Kariba draft constitution as the basis for the proposed new charter.

ZANU PF and the two MDC formations of Tsvangirai and Mutambara secretly authored the Kariba draft in 2007 but critics say the document should be discarded because it leaves Mugabe’s immense powers untouched.

The coalition government is expected to call fresh elections after enactment of a new constitution although the administration can choose to wait until expiry of its term in 2013 to call elections.

Zimbabweans hope a new constitution will strengthen the role of Parliament and curtail the president's powers, as well as guarantee basic civil, political and media freedoms. – ZimOnline