'New charter no guarantee for free and fair elections'

The man in charge of leading the crafting of Zimbabwe's new constitution says a new bill of rights for the country alone is not enough to guarantee Zimbabwe a free and fair election.

Eric Matinenga, Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs told Radio VOP in an interview that though the leaders of the country's main political parties have agreed on a new constitution, which Zimbabweans will have an opportunity to vote for or reject next month in a referendum, the document was no panacea to a free plebiscite.

"A new constitution will not guarantee us a free and fair election. What is going to guarantee us a free and fair election is a culture of constitutionalism," said Matinenga who will retire from government service when the terms of office of the current government expires later this year.

"We don't have a culture of constitutionalism in Zimbabwe and that culture of constitutionalism must always cascade from the top to the bottom. This is the culture that must be understood and pervades to the generality of the population," said Matinenga.

A new constitution is expected to pave the way for the country's eagerly awaited general elections to end four-year-old unease coalition government of former political rivals.