HARARE - President Robert Mugabe is moving to break the constitution deadlock, and convened a meeting on Monday after rushing back home from his annual vacation in the Far East.

As first reported by the Daily News, Mugabe was forced to cut short his travel to the Far East to return home to attend to the deadlock.

On Monday he convened a meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, even though he is still on leave, and ordered a special cabinet committee tasked with unlocking the deadlock on the constitution-making exercise to come up with a report in two days.

Despite spirited denials by Mugabe’s spin-doctors that he had not rushed back home, Mugabe hit the ground running soon after his arrival, and the Global Political Agreement (GPA) principals will now meet again tomorrow to receive a report from the committee amid reports that all but one of the sticky issues had been resolved as of yesterday.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is the Principals’ spokesperson, said the committee had been given up to today to finalise its report which should be presented to the leaders tomorrow.

“On the constitution-making process, the leaders acknowledged the progress made by the special cabinet committee, including the Copac co-chairpersons,” Tsvangirai said in a statement.
 
“In this regard, the political leaders will be meeting on Thursday to receive a report from the committee,” reads the statement.

With political tensions rising across the country as preparations for an anticipated watershed election gather momentum, Tsvangirai and Mugabe are reportedly impatient with the continuing bickering over the draft charter.

“The leaders are keen to have the process expedited so that the 18 July 2012 draft constitution can be taken to referendum as soon as practicable,” said the statement.

MDC Copac co-chairperson Douglas Mwonzora said only one issue remains outstanding among the issues that have been holding back the draft constitution.

“We have agreed on executive powers, the Land and Peace and Reconciliation Commissions, the National Prosecuting Authority, devolution and dual citizenship,” Mwonzora said.

“These issues have been made clearer and they will be in the new constitution.

“The only outstanding issue is that of running mates and the small committee will be reporting to the main committee on progress made today (yesterday). We should by tomorrow (today) have agreed on the running mates issue before presenting a report to the principals on Thursday.”