Violence erupts on eve of Zimbabwe referendum

Seven members of the Zimbabwe prime minister\'s party were assaulted Friday by supporters of veteran leader Robert Mugabe, heightening tensions on the eve of a key constitutional referendum. The group from Morgan Tsvangirai\'s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was attacked as they were putting up posters in Harare\'s oldest township of Mbare urging voters to approve the proposed law in Saturday\'s vote. The new constitution would curb the presidential powers that Mugabe has enjoyed for decades and lay the groundwork for watershed elections due in July that would end an often acrimonious power-sharing deal between Mugabe and Tsvangirai. Although the draft has the backing of both the 89-year-old Mugabe and his rival Tsvangirai and is expected to pass easily, tensions between supporters of the two main parties are seething after a series of bloody elections in the crisis-weary country. \"The attacks are a clear testimony that ZANU-PF wants to embark on acts of violence,\" said MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora, referring to Mugabe\'s party. Two of the seven MDC members were seriously wounded in the assault in Mbare. Candidate MP Sten Zvorwadza was hit in the neck with a bottle and punched, MDC officials said. A BBC crew filming the campaign said it was also attacked. Tsvangirai has been criss-crossing the southern African nation to drum up support for the text which took some three years to draft. He asked religious leaders who visited his office Friday to pray for the country, once one of the richest in Africa but whose fortunes have sunk since independence from Britain in 1980. \"It is your responsibility... this society needs to be reconciled,\" he said. \"If we are going to have freedom in this country, we must work for it.\" The new laws would decentralise power and limit Mugabe -- and any subsequent presidents -- to two five year terms. However Mugabe would be eligible to stay in power until 2023, when he would be 99. Tsvangirai\'s MDC has highlighted constitutional clauses guaranteeing protection against all forms of violence, and free and fair voting. MDC supporters have been on the receiving end of violence blamed on activists from the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). And they have lauded a provision that obliges police and the military to be apolitical, raising the hopes of victims of past political violence at the hands of the security forces. \"I\'m hoping this new constitution will bring about change, especially in the police force. The police used to behave as if they were ZANU-PF youth activists,\" said 31-year-old Tendai Maritinyu, whose body bears scars of a 2006 beating. Maritinyu was also assaulted in 2010 during constitutional consultative meetings that turned violent in Mbare. He had to flee his home to a safe house. Others are sceptical that the adoption of the constitution alone can really be a reason to celebrate, since laws are not always respected in a country where security forces have impunity. \"It has been quiet so far because we are all agreeing to vote \'yes\'. But what will happen after the referendum is our greatest fear. We are not settled because after the referendum, things might hot up,\" said John Munikwa, 38, a father of four who is also a victim of past violence. ZANU-PF has focused on the \"irreversibility of the land reform\" campaign and \"economic empowerment opportunities\" in pushing for a \"yes\" vote. The National Constitutional Assembly, a non-governmental grouping, wants to see the new constitution rejected, arguing that if anything it grants Mugabe more unfettered powers than before. \"This draft constitution is an insult to the people,\" Assembly leader Lovemore Madhuku told reporters. The basic law puts improvements in human rights to the fore, along with freedom of the press and gender equality. It also guarantees free, fair and regular elections, and for citizens to freely make political choices. But observers fear there will not be sufficient time to apply all the necessary reforms to ensure a healthier political environment before the next elections. Others complain there was not enough time to debate and digest the text, leaving many to just vote for a document they know little about. \"The fast-track adoption of the draft by parliament without substantive debate and the subsequent fast-track gazetting of the draft and referendum date after long delays raises concerns and questions about the democratic and popular nature of scrutiny and debate of the draft,\" said Andrew Makoni of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. Authorities have targeted pro-democracy organisations in the run-up to Saturday\'s vote, arresting their leaders and seizing equipment.