International
My party’ll decide when I retire, Mugabe says
Long-serving Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has said that he will not impose a successor as he will leave the choosing for his party members to decide who becomes the anointed one for the 2018 elections.
Mugabe, the world’s oldest leader also hinted that the ruling ZANU-PF party would decide if and when he should retire, adding, that if the party feels he should retire, it would hold an extraordinary congress to choose a new leader for the forthcoming polls.
Speaking to thousands of supporters who gathered to celebrate his birthday at a school in Matobo just outside the second biggest city Bulawayo, Mugabe said; “Others are saying ‘President, choose a successor before you retire’. Is that not imposition? Me imposing someone on the party? No, I don’t want that”.
“This is an issue for the congress to choose. We can have an extraordinary congress if the president retires but you said I should be your candidate in the next election.”
Read also: At 94 Mugabe declares to contest 2018 election, says there’s no replacement for him
Mugabe’s comments are coming weeks after his wife, Grace suggested when speaking to supporters of the ruling party that citizens of her country will still vote for her husband’s corpse, even when he is dead.
The wife of the 92-year-old leader who is seen as a possible successor to her ailing husband, made the comments without mincing words saying the move will show how people of Zimbabwe love their president.
‘One day when God decides that Mugabe dies, we will have his corpse appear as a candidate on the ballot paper. You will see people voting for Mugabe as a corpse. I am seriously telling you — just to show people how people love their president, she added.
Grace also accused some ruling Zanu-PF party officials of plotting to take over from her husband and said that if he dies supporters should put his name on the ballot to show their love for him.
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