Zimbabwe's Mugabe seeks new term after SADC backing

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Zimbabwe's Mugabe seeks new term after SADC backing

By MacDonald Dzirutwe
Reuters
Friday, March 30, 2007; 5:25 AM

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was to lead his party
on Friday in endorsing 2008 elections which will likely see the 83-year-old
leader stand for another term after regional leaders backed his hardline rule.

Critics say Mugabe, Zimbabwe's sole ruler since independence from Britain
in 1980, has plunged the country into crisis through his policies, including
the seizure of white-owned farms to give to landless blacks.

But the central committee of Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party, scheduled to
meet on Friday, was expected to endorse a move to bring forward
parliamentary elections to run concurrently with presidential polls set for
next year.

The veteran Zimbabwe leader had first sought to extend his term by two years
to 2010, but ran into resistance in his party. He then suggested running for
president again when his current six year term ends in 2008 -- outflanking
opponents who were gearing up to oppose the 2010 option.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033000474.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. So, at age 84, he's going to run for another 6 year term?

You have to give him full marks for optimism about his health.

I wonder if he wants to be re-elected purely to make sure he avoids any prosecution. It might be better to offer him some immunity deal if he just buggers off and let's Zimbabwe get itself back together.

[Taxloss]

2. He's a bit beyond prosecution now.

The way things are shaping up, it's a close-run thing between natural death and firing squad while mob loots presidential palace.

Sic semper tyrannis.

[mainegreen]

3. I'm rooting for firing squad after mobs loot hit palace.

He's a nutter and he's causing more death than is being reported.

[noonwitch]

4. Great, just what the people of Zimbabwe need

We had an exchange student from Zimbabwe my senior year of high school. She was white and from Harare. She was here after the revolution, and was pretty neutral on politics. I always wonder how she has fared in the 25 years since then.

[LeftishBrit]

5. All Zimbabwe needs is more of him!

I wonder what will happen when he goes (either dies of old age, which may not be far in the future; or is deposed). Is there hope for any sort of rapid improvement, or has he destroyed too much?