[Daily Nation (Kenya)] Zim-bob-we's three governing parties have agreed on an election timetable that effectively sets the date for the next polls in mid-2012 despite demands by President Bob MuggsyMugabe
Octogenarian President-for-Life of Zim-bob-we who turned the former Breadbasket of Africa into the African Basket Case...
that they be held this year.
President Mugabe has been insisting that elections must be held before the end of the year despite protests that the political situation is still too volatile and that the necessary reforms are yet to be put in place.
Negotiators from President Mugabe's Zanu PF party and the two Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formations led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Industry and Commerce minister Prof Welshman Ncube concluded their negotiations on Tuesday.
South African President Jacob Zuma has been facilitating the talks on the so-called election roadmap that seeks to set the timelines for a referendum on the new constitution and the next polls.
President Mugabe, Mr Tsvangirai and Prof Ncube were on Wednesday due to receive a report from their negotiators which rules out elections before mid next year.
"This means that there is no way we can hold elections this year," the privately owned NewsDay newspaper quoted one of the negotiators as saying.
Zim-bob-we is battling to complete the writing of a new constitution, which is a pre-condition for fresh elections.
Indications are now that the process will not be complete before the end of this year.
President Mugabe, who early this year said he was no longer happy in the inclusive government, has been demanding that the constitution-making process be fast-tracked to facilitate an early poll.