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ROBERT MUGABE has been nominated for a sixth term as President of Zimbabwe – a post he has already held for 24 years – despite reports that the leader is unwell.
Mugabe, who has been president since 1987 and was the country’s first post-independence Prime Minister before that – has been elected at each of five subsequent polls, amid regular suspicions of voter intimidation and fraud.
Mugabe’s nomination came at the end of the Zanu-PF party’s annual conference in Harare, where the 87-year-old leader encouraged party loyalists to waste no time in attacking other parties.
The president include his coalition partner, Morgan Tsvangirai, and his Movement for Democratic Change party in his attacks.
“What ideas do they have for the people? They spend time looking for girlfriends and cannot even come up with a choice and cannot spend time with the people,” the president accused, according to The Zimbabwe Mail.
“They do not think about the people – it’s money, pleasure.”
Reuters says that while a large number of party members want Mugabe to hand over the reins to a younger candidate, but that few were willing to openly challenge him because of the now-ingrained system of political patronage.
The Zimbabwe Metro added that Mugabe told the conference he would not retire until “illegal sanctions” – trade embargoes placed against his country as a result of Mugabe’s tenure – were lifted.
If he wins, he will be 93 by the time his next term expires – while his likely rival Tsvangirai, who will probably be fighting Mugabe for the third time in succession – is a comparatively sprightly 59-year-old.
Tsvangirai came closest to ousting Mugabe in 2008, when he topped the poll after the first round of ballots, but later withdrew from the run-off poll over the violence that had followed the first round results.
The next election is not due to be held in 2013, but is likely to take place next year – reportedly as a result of Mugabe’s declining health. A WikiLeaks cable indicated that the president has prostate cancer, though Mubage himself denies this.
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Count yourself lucky to be growing strawberries because if you had oil you would be gone long ago !
He doesn’t seem to bother the Yanks, otherwise he would have weapons of mass destruction.
No doubt they’ll announce the result and then hold the election.
or maybe he’ll just be appointed a Lifelong senator, made Prime Minister, and never have a vote cast for him.
Then again it’s Zimbabwe, not Italy. They might not even tolerate that.
Chalk and cheese Tim
Neither are the products of fair and free elections. Whatever way you spin it. I’m certain that Mugabe’s supporters say that he is there for the good of the country as well.
and we thought Michael D. Higgins was old….
Sure DEV was 84 when he started his second term as president of Ireland.
That man is pure filth! “post independence”? They would have been better off under the old regime!
Mugabe is an arsehole! He has syphilis and is mentally unstable.. The only reason that he wants to be the longest ruling DICKtator of Zim, is so that he can try and outdo Queenie of England. Robbie Bobbie has a deep hatred for dear ole Queenie.
“87-year-old Mugabe nominated for seventh term as President”
…but…
“ROBERT MUGABE has been nominated for a sixth term as President of Zimbabwe “
Apologies, that’s sloppiness on my part – it’s his seventh term of head of government/state (he was prime minister in 1980, and then President in 1987 when the office of PM was abolished) but his sixth as president.
Title amended to reflect this.
Probably do better than our lot
No, he wouldn’t. He’s a scumbag.
I am still
the Hitler of the time. This
Hitler has only one objective, justice for his own people,
sovereignty for his people,
recognition of the
independence of his people,
and their right to their
resources. If that is Hitler, then let me be a Hitler tenfold..
have your say