Mugabe holds crucial party meeting
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe held a crucial party meeting today on the next presidential elections, bolstered by what his media declared a diplomatic victory – persuading southern African leaders to urge the West to ease sanctions and engage in dialogue with him.
The ruling party’s Central Committee gathered behind closed doors to discuss whether the elections should be held next year, as planned, or delayed until 2010.
Mugabe, who previously had pushed for a delay until 2010 to extended his term, has more recently moved toward a 2008 vote – and indicated he would run.
Following a meeting of the top-level politburo earlier this week, the 83-year-old leader said he was willing to stand in the elections for a further six year term if nominated. He has been the country’s only leader since independence from Britain in 1980.
Tensions in the ruling Zanu-PF party have reportedly risen because of the succession question and the disastrous state of the Zimbabwean economy. The government came in for sustained international criticism following the brutal clampdown earlier this month on opposition activists.
Zimbabwe’s neighbours have been pushed to take the lead on pressuring Mugabe, but an emergency summit of southern African leaders yesterday ended with a call to work with him.
In the final communique, the summit appealed “for the lifting of all forms of sanctions against Zimbabwe.” It also appointed as mediator South African President Thabo Mbeki – who has advocated “quiet diplomacy” over confrontation to move Zimbabwe’s factions towards dialogue and reform.
Former colonial power Britain and other Western nations have imposed targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and a travel ban on Mugabe and more than 100 of his top associates. They argue targeted sanctions don’t hurt most Zimbabweans.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, chairman of the regional bloc, said the summit decided “to promote dialogue of the parties in Zimbabwe. There is no replacement to that.”
State radio, the official voice of Mugabe’s government, described the outcome of the summit as “a huge milestone for Zimbabwe.”
The radio said Mugabe’s detractors at home and abroad – who had called for Mugabe to be censured and given a deadline to stand down – were left with “their tails between their legs.”
“The African leaders failed to be manipulated,” it said.
The state-owned Herald newspaper said Mugabe briefed the other leaders on what it called a “terror campaign” by the main opposition party, and that the summit “stood firmly behind” Mugabe’s government.
The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change party accused Mugabe’s government of trying to demonise its critics by fabricating allegations of an armed terror campaign. Nine of its activists were charged yesterday with attempted murder in connection with a string of fire bombings, illegal possession of a firearm and of explosives, according to their lawyer.
The Herald said that, arriving at Harare International Airport upon his return from the summit, Mugabe said African leaders urged the Zimbabwean opposition to desist from violence and to recognise him and his government “as he was legitimately re-elected by the people of Zimbabwe in 2002.”
The trade union movement has called for a mass stay away from work next Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the economic meltdown, official inflation, fuelled by high level corruption and black market dealing, is 1,700%, the highest in the world.
