HARARE: Zimbabwe's political leaders are making their final pitch to voters on Friday, on the eve of a constitutional referendum that would guarantee democracy in future elections in the crisis-weary country.
If approved, the new supreme law will also clip many of the presidential powers that veteran leader Robert Mugabe has enjoyed for decades.
The constitution looks poised to be easily adopted, laying the groundwork for watershed general elections that would end an often acrimonious power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his nemesis Morgan Tsvangirai.
Prime Minister Tsvangirai has been criss-crossing the southern African nation to drum up support for the text which took some three years to compile, in what some saw as an extremely difficult environment. He was Friday due to talk to church leaders.
His 89-year old rival Mugabe has left party officials to run his low-key campaign, which is also in favour of the law.
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (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 of Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF).
They have also 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, who bears scars of a 2006 beating all over his body.
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