Vincent Gono

Senior Reporter

Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Professor Welshman Ncube says the work of putting in place a new constitution although not yet complete was reasonably acceptable and lashed out at a clique of politicians who he said were trying to subvert the process to prolong the lifespan of the            dysfunctional Inclusive Government.

The three principals are in agreement that their alliance in Government was not functional and want an election to end their marriage of inconvenience.

In an interview with the Sunday News on Thursday, Prof Ncube said the work done so far by the Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (Copac) in writing a new constitution for the country was reasonably acceptable. He said it was unfortunate and sad that there were politicians in and outside the Inclusive Government who were trying to subvert the constitution making process either out of bitterness that they were not involved or to try and breathe another life to the naturally dying Inclusive Government.

Prof Ncube said a clique of “know all” politicians who believe anything they would not have penned to be wrong and warranting criticism was venting its anger on Copac, trying to drag the whole process in the mud so that it would be rejected by the people because they were treated ordinarily.

“I think the work done by Copac so far is reasonably acceptable. It is just unfortunate that there are only a few elements within the political sphere who are trying to subvert the process. These politicians have a problem of failing to acknowledge work done by others without their involvement.

“To them anything done without their involvement is wrong. Of-course no-one can expect Copac to be flawless but I do not think it’s quite fair to criticize to the point of trying to influence the people to view the document with negative eyes,” he said.

He added that it was to be borne in mind that the challenges that Copac was facing were microcosm of the three political parties to the Inclusive Government.

On the state of preparedness for the forthcoming elections that President Mugabe said were likely going to be held this year, Prof Ncube said his party was geared up for the polls but expressed reservations on the conditions which he said were not ripe to see off a free and fair election.

President Mugabe noted, however, that the constitution was not a precondition for the holding of elections saying with or without the new constitution elections were going to be held.

“As a party we are ready for elections. We are geared up. As you may be aware we have been doing our campaigns. The problem is that the conditions for holding a free and generally acceptable election are not yet ready.

“We still have to put in place a new constitution while other reforms that were agreed in the Global Political Agreement (GPA) are still outstanding. If these are ironed out we can then go for elections.

“It is our hope, however, that the elections will not give birth to yet another Inclusive Government but to a properly elected and functional Government, for we have seen the evils of the joint and don’t want anything of it yet again,” said Prof Ncube.

He also urged parties in Government to be sincere in denouncing political violence and to shun paying lip service. Prof Ncube said police should arrest perpetrators of political violence irrespective of political affiliation adding that people should enjoy more freedom than violence.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) said it was going to vigorously             campaign for the rejection at referendum of the draft constitution saying it was a reflection of the wishes of the three players in the Inclusive Government and not the majority of the populace.