Zimbabwe's president urges party to choose his successor

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Saturday said he will not choose a successor as that would go against his ruling ZANU-PF party's constitution.

Addressing the eighth provincial youth interface rally in Bindura, the president said it was the responsibility of the party to choose his successor.

"We have never had our presidential system proceed unguided by the rules of the party. As the President, I can not just decide now to say I am appointing either my wife, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa or Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko as my successor. It's contrary to the party constitution. I can not do it. It's not allowed," Mugabe said.

His comments came after his wife Grace challenged him two months ago to name a successor to help tame current intense infighting in his party over his succession.

Mugabe said the party congress, held every five years, was mandated with the responsibility of choosing his successor. The next ZANU-PF congress is due in 2019.

He said that as a trained lawyer, he can not afford to violate party rules.

File photo: Zimbabwe first lady Grace Mugabe (L) and Zimbabwe's Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa (R) /AFP Photo

"I have to follow party regulations very strictly. I will not appoint my wife as successor," he said.

The Zimbabwean First Lady has gained political influence in recent years and currently chairs ZANU-PF's women's wing. This has led some to speculate that she may harbor ambitions for the presidency.

Mugabe, 93, will seek re-election in next year's elections after being endorsed by his party as its presidential candidate.

Mugabe's party, however, is battling intense factionalism over his succession.

At the rally, Mugabe criticized the two warring factions that are vying to succeed him.

Openly naming them as Lacoste and G40, Mugabe urged the factions to stop fighting over his position and unite for the success of the party.

He attacked the G40 faction for calling for young leadership in the party, saying that concept was borrowed from the United States after the young Barack Obama became president of the United States.

"We are not Americans so we can not be Obamas. We are not British, we can't be Blairs. We are Zimbabweans," Mugabe said.

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency