Zimbabweans voted Saturday in a referendum on a new constitution, a crucial milestone in the political development of the crisis-weary African country, dpa reported. The new constitution grants more power to parliament and offers additional rights to women but would not hinder President Robert Mugabe, 89, from running for high office again. He has been at the helm of Zimbabwe since its independence in 1980. With his Zanu-PF party and arch-rival the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) having both thrown their weight behind the draft document, the referendum is expected to easily pass. The constitution will pave the way for presidential and general elections later this year, which is likely to end the fragile coalition between Zanu-PF and two MDC factions in place since 2009. -- SPA 20:42 LOCAL TIME 17:42 GMT تغريد
