By Mail Foreign
Service
Last updated at 9:12 AM on 13th December 2009
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe plans to regain his hold over
the country he has ruled for nearly three decades after being
re-elected leader of his Zanu-PF party at the age of 85.
Mugabe appeared triumphant following yesterday's re-election,
which keeps him in power for another five years.
The Zanu-PF was severely weakened after it lost its
parliamentary majority in last year's contested elections.
Triumphant: At 85, Robert Mugabe has been re-elected
for another five years as Zanu-PF party leader
Mugabe was was forced into a power-sharing deal with former
rivals after the 2008 poll, but many fear it is doomed to fail as
he clings on to power.
'The inclusive government has a short life of 24 months,' he
said on Saturday. 'So we must be ready for the elections and we
must not be defeated like we were last year.
'We must win resoundingly and regain the constituents we
lost.'
A new election date has not been set, but many observers fear
that the build up will see the return of the violence that has
marred previous polls.
Joice Mujuru, a former guerrilla fighter in the bush war,
retained her post of second vice president. John Nkomo was elected
as the party's other vice president to replace Joseph Msika, who
died this year.
Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa, Simon Khaya Moyo, will
take over from Nkomo as party chairman.
Zanu-PF supporters: Mugabe plans to reassert his
control after the party was left severely weakened in last year's
contested elections.
The party has been long divided over who should eventually
succeed Mugabe, but the liberation hero has thwarted any challenges
to his leadership.
Does this gentle Old Man of Zimbawbe remind you of
another gentle octogenarian who share the same philosophy as
him ??
