Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has said he is ”raring to go” in general elections next month despite the first challenge for 20 years from within his ruling party.
Mugabe — who turns 84 years old next week and has been the Southern African nation’s sole ruler since independence from Britain in 1980 — is seeking another five-year term in the March 29 presidential, parliamentary and council elections.
The veteran Zimbabwe leader, who analysts had predicted was assured of victory against a weak and divided opposition, now has to contend with one of his senior ruling Zanu-PF officials, former finance minister Simba Makoni, in the presidential race.
”I am very raring to go and raring to fly,” Mugabe said in remarks broadcast on state television on Tuesday, waving his trademark clenched fists in a sign of defiance.
Mugabe has said his party would secure a landslide election victory to silence the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and shame Western critics he accuses of funding his opponents to remove him from power.
But analysts say the entry of Makoni, a member of the ruling party’s decision-making politburo, shows internal divisions in the Zanu-PF that could leave Mugabe weaker even if he wins.
Makoni says he is backed by senior party officials who are, however, yet to publicly show their support.
The Zanu-PF politburo was expected to meet on Tuesday to finalise a list of candidates for the elections and take an official position on Makoni’s move. The body also met on Monday but no decision was taken.
Some members of Mugabe’s Cabinet have lost in the party primary elections.
Sabina Mugabe, the veteran Zimbabwe leader’s younger sister who has been a legislator for more than two decades, said she would not stand for health reasons.
Analysts say shortages of food, foreign currency and fuel, and the world’s highest inflation rate — officially pegged at 26 000% — are the biggest challenge to Mugabe’s rule.
The MDC has failed to capitalise on Mugabe’s failure to ease the crisis and it remains to be seen if daily hardships will push Zimbabweans to support Makoni.
‘Old wine in a new bottle’
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai confirmed on Sunday he would stand for president at elections next month.
”I confirm myself, together with the comrades behind me, that we are going to contest the presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and local government elections,” the MDC leader told reporters.
”I want to confirm that I am going to be the presidential candidate and what you see behind me is the team that I am going to work with in the forthcoming campaigns,” he added in a briefing attended by lawmakers and top officials.
Tsvangirai praised Makoni as a patriot but said he bore some responsibility for the state of the country as a long-time member of Mugabe’s ruling Zanu-PF.
”Dr Makoni has been part of the establishment for the last 30 years and has witnessed our country deteriorate to this unprecedented level. He is equally accountable as Robert Mugabe for the omissions of Zanu-PF,” Tsvangirai said.
”I believe that what Dr Makoni is trying is to reform an institutionalised dictatorship. That is not my agenda.
”I am the leader of the MDC … Dr Makoni is nothing more than old wine in a new bottle.”
Tsvangirai lost to Mugabe in the last elections in 2002 in a poll Western observers said was rigged. His party has since been riven by divisions and he has been unable to persuade a splinter faction to unite behind his candidacy.
The MDC leader was confident his party would be the rightful winners but sceptical that Mugabe would allow a level playing field at the election. — Reuters, AFP