Mugabe under pressure from Zanu-PF hardliners

Independent (Friday October 7) says President Mugabe is under pressure from hardliners within Zanu PF and security chiefs to convene an extra-ordinary congress to endorse him as the presidential candidate and rejig the politburo.

This comes as Mugabe told the party's central committee yesterday that the MDC formation led by PM Morgan Tsvangirai must resign from government if it is opposed to the indigenisation programme.

Zanu PF's campaign mantra for the general election, which Mugabe wants early next year, is empowerment of black Zimbabweans – a message which he will hawk at the party conference in Bulawayo in December.

Mugabe said the Bulawayo conference was not just an ordinary conference because it precedes elections, which are due after the present constitution-making process.

Party officials and security chiefs said this week that Mugabe should declare the conference an extra-ordinary congress, which they said would allow for his endorsement as the presidential candidate for elections and to re-arrange the politburo so that those exposed in WikiLeaks cables are dealt with.