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“The notion of Principal is legally sticky in the governmental sense and addresses those persons whose hands (signatures) appear on the GPA and because of that, they become principals in Government,” he said.
Mr Charamba said it was unfortunate that the Sadc Summit decision in Maputo was being misinterpreted.
“I suppose it’s because the distinction gets very fine for easy comprehension. What Sadc has done is to state and stress that it will only deal with leaders of political parties for purposes of its mediation assignment.
“In its reckoning, it disqualifies Prof Mutambara on grounds that he did not pass the test of being a leader of a political party.
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“Whether Sadc is wrong or right on this matter, which I happen to know is still before the courts, it no longer matters.
“The issue is our sub-regional organisation has a position in respect of political parties that have a bearing in the Global Political Agreement.
“It (Sadc) is saying it shall be Robert Gabriel Mugabe representing Zanu-PF, Morgan Tsvangirai representing MDC-T and Professor Welshman Ncube representing the other MDC. That is for the purposes of Sadc consultations,” he said.
Mr Charamba said while Sadc was concerned with negotiators of the GPA, the Government worried itself with the Management Committee, which for reporting purposes was co-ordinated by Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga.
He said it was Minister Matinenga, in his capacity as chairman of the Management Committee at Government level, who delivered the draft Constitution to the GPA principals.
Mr Charamba said the draft was initially delivered to President Mugabe and DPM Mutambara because PM Tsvangirai was abroad on Government business.
“What has happened to date is that the Copac team has concluded its consultations and originated a draft and as so demanded of it has submitted it to the Management Committee.
“The Management Committee in turn and through Minister Matinenga has submitted a reworked draft to the principals, initially to two that is President Mugabe and DPM Mutambara. PM Tsvangirai was away on Government business in the Far East and Euro-Asia but upon his return was given his copy.
“The expectation was that the principals will consult their respective constituencies in anticipation of a meeting of principals scheduled into the future.
“I believe this consultative process has been undertaken and albeit to different timetables with President Mugabe being the last one to finish.
“While the President has not favoured me with specific day or date, he has intimated to me that he will be asking fellow principals to attend the much-awaited meeting of principals to discuss the draft Constitution.
“I am sure each of the principals will be bringing to bear on the meeting concerns gathered from consultations I have alluded to.”
Mr Charamba said although the draft Constitution was submitted to principals by Minister Matinenga, there was a possibility that political party leaders could have received the same document from their negotiators who happened to be members of the Management Committee in Government.
“It was Minister Matinenga who delivered the draft document to the principals, that is President Mugabe, PM Tsvangirai and DPM Mutambara.”
“But the three may very well have received the same document from their negotiators who are part of the Management Committee in Government, namely, Patrick Chinamasa and Nicholas Goche for Zanu-PF, Tendai Biti and Elton Mangoma for MDC-T and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga and Moses Mzila-Ndlovu for the other MDC.
“It is very important that we do not confuse submission of the same document done to political party leaders by their negotiators and submission done to principals who may not be leaders of political parties but leaders in Government,” he said.
It is expected that after the principals have discussed the draft Constitution and assuming that there is consensus, it would be taken to the Second All Stakeholders
Conference where it will be subjected to further debate.
The draft will then be taken to Parliament, which could as well make changes to it.
From Parliament the document will be given to President Mugabe under the Referendums Act, which empowers him as the Head of State and Government to take it to the people for a referendum.
The MDC formations have adopted the document in its current form and want it taken to the Second All-Stakeholders Conference as it is.
But Zanu-PF has audited the document against the national report which contained the views raised by the people during the outreach programme.
The party proposed a raft of amendments to the draft before it is taken to the Second All Stakeholders Conference. Zanu-PF argues that so many critical issues are missing in the draft, while matters not captured in the national report were smuggled into the document.
Some of the contentious issues raised by Zanu-PF are same-sex marriages, running mates, the creation of the national prosecuting authority and the draft Constitution’s silence on the land issue.
Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa