By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

HARARE, Zimbabwe-On Monday a week-long parliamentary caucus was started to begin Zimbabwe’s process of creating a new constitution.  It was revealed today by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change Party Publication that foreign donors had agreed to fund the process of making a new constitution, which would likely lead to “real” multiparty elections. The estimated costs for the entire process are around 3.6 million dollars a month.

Much of today’s time during the caucus was spent on how much money would be distributed to senators and others involved in the process. It is expected that the government will hire around 800 people for high-paying temporary jobs as field officers. These field officer’s jobs would be to ask Zimbabweans what they would like to see in the new constitution.

The goal has been to make this constitution representative of the Zimbabwean people. The actual process of consulting the Zimbabwean people on a new constitution is to begin next week. Many different civic groups have spent weeks training activists to educate communities about the new charter and provide new ideas for it, to ensure the goal of the constitution is met.

Olivia Gumbo, a coordinator for the Zimbabwean Human Rights Association emphasized that her group wants a “people driven document.” “We are talking about the right to participate in the governance issues, the right to vote, the right to speak out your view and also, the freedom of association,” she said.

This new constitution is part of a power-sharing agreement between President Robert Mugabe’s party and Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s party. The new constitution is hoped to end months of confrontation and controversial elections, and lead to “fresh” and fair ones within two years.

For more information please see:

Reuters –South Africa Sees Progress In Slow Zimbabwe Talks – 5 January 2010

Time – Zim MP’s Scramble for Seats On Gravy Train – 5 January 2010

VOA – Drafting Of New Constitution To Begin In Zimbabwe – 5 January 2010