Opposition plans to impeach Mugabe

Political tensions are simmering in
Zimbabwe this week as both the official opposition and an array of civic,
student and trade union bodies plan to embark on campaigns aimed at
pressuring President Robert Mugabe to leave office, describing him as the
source of the country's troubles.

,
Political tensions are simmering in
Zimbabwe this week as both the official opposition and an array of civic,
student and trade union bodies plan to embark on campaigns aimed at
pressuring President Robert Mugabe to leave office, describing him as the
source of the country's troubles.
, Political tensions are simmering in
Zimbabwe this week as both the official opposition and an array of civic,
student and trade union bodies plan to embark on campaigns aimed at
pressuring President Robert Mugabe to leave office, describing him as the
source of the country's troubles.

The official opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), plans to
move a motion in parliament on Tuesday to impeach President Mugabe for
violating the constitution, while the civic and trade union bodies said they
will kick off an indefinite protest campaign with a mass march on Wednesday
to demand Mugabe's resignation.

David Coltart, the MDC's legal affairs adviser and MP, told IRIN on Monday
that the party will move a parliamentary motion for a secret ballot to
impeach Mugabe. "Our aim is to focus the attention of the nation on Mugabe
as the cause of the food riots, the increasing public transport costs and
other issues," said Coltart.

Coltart said the MDC, which holds 57 of the 150 parliamentary seats, hopes
some of the ruling ZANU-PF party MPs would vote for impeachment if the
ballot was secret. At least 100 MPs would have to vote for the motion for
impeachment proceedings to start.

Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, however, dismissed the planned motion as
a non-starter. "Everyone in Zimbabwe knows it's a political gimmick. That
motion has no chance of seeing the light of day," Moyo said.

At the same time, new riots against high food and transport costs broke out
on Monday in the southeastern city of Mutare, about 200 km from Harare.
According to news reports, protesters in the township of Sakubva, just
outside Mutare, blockaded roads leading to towns and looted bread from a
supermarket and set fire to a section of the store. The reports added that
police quashed the protests and arrested 20 people.

Zimbabwe's township dwellers last week embarked on three days of rioting in
protest against a 30 percent increase in bread and sugar prices. Some 115
people were reportedly arrested when police and soldiers cracked down on the
unrest.