LONDON (Zimbabwe Investor) - Representatives of various Zimbabwean groups in the United Kingdom are meeting on Saturday, January 2010 in Forest Gate, London, to kick-start the Zimbabwean Diaspora constitutional consultations whose final submissions are expected to feed into the main process being carried out in Zimbabwe.

The All Stakeholder Constitutional Consultation meeting comes after the signing of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Multi-Organisational Memorandum of Understanding, the Forest Gate Agreement (FGA) at a conference held in October 2009.

In a press statement released by the Zimbabwe Constitution Consultation UK the Task Force’s spokesperson, Mr Thamsanqa Zhou acknowledged the confusion that may have been caused by media reports on the stalling of the consultations in Zimbabwe while encouraging what he called progressive engagement to perfect the process.

Mr Zhou also said the task force was seeking to involve all Zimbabweans regardless of their political and civic affiliations.

“It is also that commitment to an inclusive and non-partisan process as enshrined in the Global Political Agreement of 15th September 2008 that encourages us to continue engaging the NCA and others who may have expressed concerns about the process” Mr Zhou said adding “Such engagement will further inform and enrich the process being rolled out in the Diaspora.”

Mr Zhou encouraged participation in the process stating; “We call upon all Zimbabweans to participate in the process as it is an opportunity to help steer Zimbabwe on the course to lasting peace. It is an opportunity to replace the Lancaster House agreement and its 19 amendments with a people’s constitution”

It is estimated that up to 3 million Zimbabweans constitute the Diaspora community with the majority based in South Africa and the United Kingdom. This Diaspora community is also seen as key to the economic recovery process given the investment funds that can be unlocked from their savings capabilities

The rival political parties, ZANU (PF) led by President Robert Mugabe and the two wings of the MDC one led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the other by Deputy PM Arthur Mutambara, signed the Global Political Agreement following the disputed election in 2008, to enter into a transitional government of national unity. In the agreement was that the transitional period is required to come up with a new constitution that would culminate in the holding of fresh elections.