News / National
Zanu-PF set to back Zimbabwe elections
18 Dec 2010 at 19:45hrs | Views
Mutare - President Robert Mugabe's party was on Saturday set to back his push for elections in Zimbabwe early next year as supporters pledged to "bury forever" his "Western" backed political rivals.
Delegates from Mugabe's Zanu-PF movement were meeting behind closed doors on the last day of its annual conference in the eastern city of Mutare where the veteran president is due to address delegates.
"Zanu-PF is on an unstoppable roll," said Simon Moyo, the party's national chairperson, ahead of the speech where Mugabe is expected to be re-endorsed as its candidate for national polls in 2011.
"I would like to urge this conference to build on that momentum as we go towards the next general election scheduled for next year."
Moyo also hit out at the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who for almost two years has shared power with long-time foe Mugabe after an inconclusive presidential election
in 2008.
"We want to bury, once and for all, this Western project called the MDC," Moyo said. "We must bury forever this combined British and American non-governmental organisation. For that is what the MDC is," he added.
The coalition has been on the brink of collapse for months with Mugabe and Tsvangirai at loggerheads over how to handle the country's massive debt and food shortages, and internal haggling over who gets key jobs.
Dragging feet
On Friday, Mugabe told more than 4 000 delegates attending the conference that the power-sharing agreement between Zanu-PF and the MDC was not working and it must end, leading to new elections.
"We agreed to work together... as a compromise to enable us to sort things out, establish peace, political stability, now some are dragging their feet, they don't want elections," Mugabe said to loud applause from
supporters.
Although Mugabe wants presidential and parliamentary polls on the same day next year the MDC has said key reforms must be put in place first to ensure a free and fair vote.
Rights groups say hundreds of political activists were killed during the last presidential election in 2008. The MDC has said fair elections are not possible until 2012 at the earliest and possibly as late as 2013.
In March 2008, Tsvangirai won the presidential election defeating Mugabe, but he fell short of the required majority resulting in a run-off ballot which the MDC leader refused to take part in, allowing Mugabe to
win unopposed.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed the compromise administration six months later.
Delegates from Mugabe's Zanu-PF movement were meeting behind closed doors on the last day of its annual conference in the eastern city of Mutare where the veteran president is due to address delegates.
"Zanu-PF is on an unstoppable roll," said Simon Moyo, the party's national chairperson, ahead of the speech where Mugabe is expected to be re-endorsed as its candidate for national polls in 2011.
"I would like to urge this conference to build on that momentum as we go towards the next general election scheduled for next year."
Moyo also hit out at the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who for almost two years has shared power with long-time foe Mugabe after an inconclusive presidential election
in 2008.
"We want to bury, once and for all, this Western project called the MDC," Moyo said. "We must bury forever this combined British and American non-governmental organisation. For that is what the MDC is," he added.
The coalition has been on the brink of collapse for months with Mugabe and Tsvangirai at loggerheads over how to handle the country's massive debt and food shortages, and internal haggling over who gets key jobs.
On Friday, Mugabe told more than 4 000 delegates attending the conference that the power-sharing agreement between Zanu-PF and the MDC was not working and it must end, leading to new elections.
"We agreed to work together... as a compromise to enable us to sort things out, establish peace, political stability, now some are dragging their feet, they don't want elections," Mugabe said to loud applause from
supporters.
Although Mugabe wants presidential and parliamentary polls on the same day next year the MDC has said key reforms must be put in place first to ensure a free and fair vote.
Rights groups say hundreds of political activists were killed during the last presidential election in 2008. The MDC has said fair elections are not possible until 2012 at the earliest and possibly as late as 2013.
In March 2008, Tsvangirai won the presidential election defeating Mugabe, but he fell short of the required majority resulting in a run-off ballot which the MDC leader refused to take part in, allowing Mugabe to
win unopposed.
Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed the compromise administration six months later.
Source - SAPA
