By Lance Guma
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai personally called MDC-N leader Welshman Ncube who was in Uganda for a COMESA conference last week and advised him that he had to be involved as one of the Principals in the constitution making process.
Respected academic Dr Alex Magaisa drafted in to run Tsvangirai’s office has revealed that “last week Monday, the principals of the GPA were due to meet to discuss the way forward on the constitution-making process.
“Following the SADC Maputo decision, Mr Tsvangirai insisted that Professor Welshman Ncube should be involved as one of the principals.” Dr Magaisa said Tsvangirai made the call to Ncube and told him the discussion set for the 19th would be deferred to the 26th November to allow Ncube to attend.
“Mr Tsvangirai has insisted on a point of principle, on complying with the SADC decision on the issue of principals. It is incorrect and false that Mr Tsvangirai has endorsed the exclusion of Professor Ncube in the constitutional negotiations,” Magaisa said.
“Unfortunately, in the selfish pursuit of political space and the politics of divide and conquer, a false impression has been created that Mr Tsvangirai is acting in cahoots with President Mugabe to sideline Professor Ncube. Time, the magician, will tell,” Magaisa added.
Meanwhile SW Radio Africa is reporting “the three principals to the GPA have tasked a three member cabinet team with trying to break the COPAC deadlock, as they try to keep negotiations over the new constitution on track.”
“It will be made up of three cabinet ministers who will be responsible for devising a way to incorporate submissions from the second All-Stakeholders’ Conference on the new Constitution, which was held last month.
“The three ministers will be drawn from ZANU PF and the two MDC formations. They will be joined in group discussions by the three COPAC co-chairs; Edward Mkhosi, Douglas Mwonzora and Paul Mangwana.”
Mugabe’s acid tongued spokesman George Charamba told the Zanu PF controlled state media on Monday that the committee was only set to deal with areas of disagreement in the Second All-Stakeholders’ report.
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