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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Fighting ends Zimbabwe conference | Fighting ends Zimbabwe conference |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Zimbabwe has abandoned a conference on a new constitution after fights broke out between rival delegations. | Zimbabwe has abandoned a conference on a new constitution after fights broke out between rival delegations. |
| Supporters of President Robert Mugabe disrupted the meeting by dancing and singing revolutionary songs. | Supporters of President Robert Mugabe disrupted the meeting by dancing and singing revolutionary songs. |
| Some delegates walked out in protest, others threw water bottles. Riot police had to clear out the Harare venue. | Some delegates walked out in protest, others threw water bottles. Riot police had to clear out the Harare venue. |
| Thousands of politicians and activists had joined the talks, which were intended as the start of a year of consultations on the issue. | Thousands of politicians and activists had joined the talks, which were intended as the start of a year of consultations on the issue. |
| A referendum is scheduled for a year's time and once a charter is in place, Zimbabwe is expected to have another attempt at holding a free and fair election. | A referendum is scheduled for a year's time and once a charter is in place, Zimbabwe is expected to have another attempt at holding a free and fair election. |
| Former opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister in a power-sharing government in February to end months of political deadlock following last year's disputed elections. | |
| 'Lack of sincerity' | 'Lack of sincerity' |
| More than 4,000 delegates are reported to have turned up at the constitutional talks. | More than 4,000 delegates are reported to have turned up at the constitutional talks. |
| Mr Mugabe was due to open the conference and Mr Tsvangirai was also expected to attend. | |
| But neither man showed up, despite the start time being pushed back by several hours as organisers struggled to register all the delegates. | But neither man showed up, despite the start time being pushed back by several hours as organisers struggled to register all the delegates. |
| The two parties are divided over how to frame the constitution | The two parties are divided over how to frame the constitution |
| Parliamentary speaker Lovemore Moyo opened the conference by telling the audience that a constitution is about "the people deciding how they are governed". | Parliamentary speaker Lovemore Moyo opened the conference by telling the audience that a constitution is about "the people deciding how they are governed". |
| "It is not about the government or anyone else telling the people how they want to be governed," he said. | "It is not about the government or anyone else telling the people how they want to be governed," he said. |
| But minutes into his speech he was drowned out by hundreds of Mugabe supporters who gathered in front of the stage and chanted revolutionary songs. | But minutes into his speech he was drowned out by hundreds of Mugabe supporters who gathered in front of the stage and chanted revolutionary songs. |
| Mr Moyo, a member of Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), left the hall as scuffles broke out between MDC and Zanu-PF backers. | |
| The first session of the All Stakeholders Conference was brought to a halt by the intervention of riot police. | The first session of the All Stakeholders Conference was brought to a halt by the intervention of riot police. |
| MDC minister Nelson Chamisa said the events demonstrated a lack of sincerity and deficit of goodwill from Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF. | |
| Battle lines | Battle lines |
| The BBC's Jonah Fisher, in neighbouring South Africa, says the battle lines had already been drawn between the two main partners in the country's power-sharing government. | The BBC's Jonah Fisher, in neighbouring South Africa, says the battle lines had already been drawn between the two main partners in the country's power-sharing government. |
| The MDC is calling for this to be a genuine public process - with ordinary people given a real say in drafting the document. | |
| Zanu-PF wants the constitution based on what is called the Kariba Draft, which was drawn up by the parties last year. | |
| But critics of the Kariba document say it gives the president too much executive power. | But critics of the Kariba document say it gives the president too much executive power. |