Zimbabwe
Opposition repeats call for mass action against Mugabe

afrol.com, 17 October - Harare streets were dominated by riots while the Zimbabwean opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) National met and restated its earlier position that "there is need for a mass action to register the people's discontent with ZANU PF's style of governance which has brought untold hardships on the people of this country. This mass action will be used to call for the resignation of Robert Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe."

Harare streets have been dominated by protests against rising food prices for two days. The Mail & Guardian reports that rioters in the capital Harare fought running battles with police in what opposition leaders say is "an explosion of popular anger" against President Robert Mugabe. MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai told a news conference that the protests were not organised by his party.

Meanwhile, his party Executive repeated, in a milder form, the controversial statement made by Tsvangirai at a speech at Rufaro Stadium three weeks ago, when he called for mass action against President Mugabe and saying that "If you don't want to go peacefully we will remove you violently." This statement has cost him possible persecution for treason.

- The MDC Executive will now continue with consultations among its key stakeholders to determine the appropriate timing for this mass action, the party last night stated to the press.

Party leader Morgan Tsvangirai informed that, in interim the MDC will through Parliament call for the impeachment of Robert Mugabe as president "on the grounds that he has maliciously abused his office and grossly violated the constitution which he was sworn to uphold."

The MDC urged for a broad alliance in Parliament against President Mugabe and said that it "believes that the impeachment of the sitting President is a national issue that stands above party politics. All MPs of genuine good will should feel compelled partly by a sense of duty to their country and partly by a sense of destiny to support this democratic initiative which will bring life back to this country."

The Zimbabwean Parliament has a narrow Zanu-PF (Mugabe's governing party) majority. It is, however, believed that there is some discontent among MPs from this party regarding Mugabe's policies and policy failures.

Three weeks ago, after his controversial speech, Tsvangirai for the first time stated publicly that there was a need for mass action against the president. "We are saying the power of the people will remove him," he thus explained.

Tsvangirai's critics of the President were followed by public statements of former South African President Nelson Mandela against Mugabe. "I would have wished that somebody would talk to him (Mugabe) to say: 'Look, you have been in office for 20 years. It's time to step down,'" Mandela said in an interview with a South African newspaper on 1 October.

Source: Based on Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) 

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