Constitution referendum expected in January

Zimbabwe is going to hold a referendum earliest in January 2013 as having it this year only applies theoretically, the constitutional parliament select committee has said.

This comes after the peaceful completion of the Second All Stakeholders Conference where political parties and stakeholders proposed some few amendments to the draft constitution. One of the amendments regards the rights of youths which had not been included in the Bill of Rights.

"There are still a lot of things that need to be done. For example the financing as well as the hand over take over of the constitutional process from Copac to the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC).

A referendum is an election and it falls under ZEC," Copac  Co-Chair Douglas Mwonzora, told Radio VOP in Harare Tuesday at the end of the Second All Stakeholders Conference.

ZEC early this month said they needed about $104 million for the referendum. It also indicated that at least six weeks was needed to put logistical arrangements in place.

Finance minister Tendai Biti recently said treasury had no money for by-elections which President Robert Mugabe was ordered to hold by end of next March by the Supreme Court.