News / National
'Mugabe can succumb to legitimate pressure'
15 Nov 2015 at 04:01hrs | Views
RENEWAL Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ) leader Elton Mangoma has called on Zimbabweans to pile pressure on President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF government to push for early elections, saying that was the only solution to the country's present woes.
Mangoma told The Standard last week that the Zanu-PF government was uninspiring and its continued stay in power would only result in more economic hardships for a majority of the population.
He said there was no other means to remove Mugabe from power other than holding elections. Mangoma said the economy was on a downward spiral due to Zanu-PF's mismanagement.
He added: "The removal of Zanu-PF is the only immediate solution to the crisis that we are in. What we should be asking is that, can we wait until 2018? Maybe not, maybe we should be able to have elections a bit earlier so that Zanu-PF is removed through an election and a properly elected and legitimate government comes in."
Mangoma said there were two scenarios possible to force for an early poll. One was pressurising Mugabe to dissolve Parliament and call for elections while the other was to have MPs pass a vote of no confidence on the 91-year-old leader.
He was confident that Mugabe would succumb to legitimate pressure and be able to call for early polls.
"The year 2018 is the last by which elections must be held. "Citizens can put pressure and make Zanu-PF succumb to that pressure. From next year onwards we will be in a position for early elections and we will be ready.
"We will be right there calling for early elections. Zanu-PF can't do it therefore it must be removed through an election. Polls must be held early so that we save this country," the RDZ leader said.
Mangoma ruled out another GNU, saying it would not fix the economy.
Mangoma told The Standard last week that the Zanu-PF government was uninspiring and its continued stay in power would only result in more economic hardships for a majority of the population.
He said there was no other means to remove Mugabe from power other than holding elections. Mangoma said the economy was on a downward spiral due to Zanu-PF's mismanagement.
He added: "The removal of Zanu-PF is the only immediate solution to the crisis that we are in. What we should be asking is that, can we wait until 2018? Maybe not, maybe we should be able to have elections a bit earlier so that Zanu-PF is removed through an election and a properly elected and legitimate government comes in."
Mangoma said there were two scenarios possible to force for an early poll. One was pressurising Mugabe to dissolve Parliament and call for elections while the other was to have MPs pass a vote of no confidence on the 91-year-old leader.
He was confident that Mugabe would succumb to legitimate pressure and be able to call for early polls.
"The year 2018 is the last by which elections must be held. "Citizens can put pressure and make Zanu-PF succumb to that pressure. From next year onwards we will be in a position for early elections and we will be ready.
"We will be right there calling for early elections. Zanu-PF can't do it therefore it must be removed through an election. Polls must be held early so that we save this country," the RDZ leader said.
Mangoma ruled out another GNU, saying it would not fix the economy.
Source - the standard
