News / National
Mugabe urges peaceful elections
19 Apr 2011 at 06:04hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe defended the nation's bitterly divided coalition government as the Southern African country yesterday marked 31 years of democratic rule.
Mugabe said the coalition he joined after violence-plagued elections in 2008 missed some objectives "here and there" and faced "outright misunderstandings", but strove for national unity despite Western interference. Yesterday was the anniversary of the 1980 fall of Ian Smith's UDI government.
Critics blame Mugabe for stalling reforms and not stopping surging political violence.
Mugabe, 87, strode the military parade during the independence celebrations yesterday .
In a robust address, he called for peaceful campaigning ahead of fresh elections this year. Mugabe has said he regretted joining the coalition with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and wants early elections to bring it to an end.
Tsvangirai, in a separate independence anniversary message, said the coming year holds "many challenges, dangers and difficult choices".
Mugabe said the coalition he joined after violence-plagued elections in 2008 missed some objectives "here and there" and faced "outright misunderstandings", but strove for national unity despite Western interference. Yesterday was the anniversary of the 1980 fall of Ian Smith's UDI government.
Critics blame Mugabe for stalling reforms and not stopping surging political violence.
Mugabe, 87, strode the military parade during the independence celebrations yesterday .
In a robust address, he called for peaceful campaigning ahead of fresh elections this year. Mugabe has said he regretted joining the coalition with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and wants early elections to bring it to an end.
Tsvangirai, in a separate independence anniversary message, said the coming year holds "many challenges, dangers and difficult choices".
Source - Sapa
