Civic group threatens protests over Mugabe term extension plans

HARARE – An alliance of Zimbabwean opposition and civic groups on Wednesday threatened to roll out mass protests against plans by the ruling Zanu PF party to extend President Robert Mugabe’s term by two years.

At a press conference in Harare yesterday, the civic groups and churches who make up the Save Zimbabwe Convention, said extending Mugabe’s term to 2010 would take away the right of Zimbabweans to elect leaders of their choice. “Such a move (to postpone the elections) by the ruling Zanu PF is undemocratic and takes away the constitutional right of all Zimbabwean citizens to elect leaders of their choice at regular intervals,” said the alliance.Addressing the same press conference, Morgan Tsvangirai, who heads the larger faction of the splintered Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said Zimbabweans could not afford to have Mugabe at the helm for two more years.”Mugabe does not have a right to impose or to privatise a national issue and then impose it on Zimbabweans,” said Tsvangirai.Last week, a Zanu PF conference in Goromonzi, less than 100km east of Harare, agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections concurrently.The move could see Mugabe staying on as president until 2010, two years after the expiry of his term.Political analysts say Mugabe is not too keen to leave power as scheduled in 2008 with the veteran Zimbabwean leader telling senior party officials jostling for his position that there were no vacancies in the presidium.National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairman Lovemore Madhuku, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer and Mugabe critic, John Makumbe, human rights lawyer Arnold Tsunga and Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Lovemore Matombo were also present at the press conference.Makumbe called for the holding of presidential elections in 2008 as scheduled saying any extension of Mugabe’s term would be an “extension of legitimacy.”Contacted for comment yesterday, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa dismissed calls for protests by the Save Zimbabwe Convention saying it was a creation of the West to sow discord in the country.”Who voted them into power?” Chinamasa asked.”Zanu PF is the ruling party and can decide for the people.In fact, the idea of harmonisation of elections came from the people.The Save Zimbabwe Campaign is representing no-one,” he said.ZimOnline”Such a move (to postpone the elections) by the ruling Zanu PF is undemocratic and takes away the constitutional right of all Zimbabwean citizens to elect leaders of their choice at regular intervals,” said the alliance.Addressing the same press conference, Morgan Tsvangirai, who heads the larger faction of the splintered Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party said Zimbabweans could not afford to have Mugabe at the helm for two more years.”Mugabe does not have a right to impose or to privatise a national issue and then impose it on Zimbabweans,” said Tsvangirai.Last week, a Zanu PF conference in Goromonzi, less than 100km east of Harare, agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections concurrently.The move could see Mugabe staying on as president until 2010, two years after the expiry of his term.Political analysts say Mugabe is not too keen to leave power as scheduled in 2008 with the veteran Zimbabwean leader telling senior party officials jostling for his position that there were no vacancies in the presidium.National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) chairman Lovemore Madhuku, University of Zimbabwe political science lecturer and Mugabe critic, John Makumbe, human rights lawyer Arnold Tsunga and Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions president Lovemore Matombo were also present at the press conference.Makumbe called for the holding of presidential elections in 2008 as scheduled saying any extension of Mugabe’s term would be an “extension of legitimacy.”Contacted for comment yesterday, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa dismissed calls for protests by the Save Zimbabwe Convention saying it was a creation of the West to sow discord in the country.”Who voted them into power?” Chinamasa asked.”Zanu PF is the ruling party and can decide for the people.In fact, the idea of harmonisation of elections came from the people.The Save Zimbabwe Campaign is representing no-one,” he said.ZimOnline