'There are no vacancies' - Mugabe tells party

'There are no vacancies' - Mugabe tells party

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S veteran President Robert Mugabe has lashed out at infighting among ruling party members jockeying to succeed him, saying the succession issue can destroy his ruling Zanu PF party.

Mugabe, who had recently indicated a desire to extend his rule beyond the scheduled 2008 presidential elections, said during a meeting of the party's central committee in Harare late on Thursday that there was "no vacancy" at the top.

Mugabe was quoted as saying: "This succession issue, I said to vice-president Joseph Msika, is creating problems, stop it

"Stop it, what's the problem? There are no vacancies. Let's not be over-ambitious.

"Time will come when vacancies will exist, but there are no vacancies now. None at all."

Mugabe was to address the annual Zanu-PF conference later on Friday in the town of Goromonzi, near Harare, where he was expected to flesh out his plans for retirement.

The 82-year-old, who had ruled Zimbabwe since its independence from British colonial rule in 1980, had previously indicated he would retire when his term expires in 2008.

But, he had recently endorsed calls for the next presidential election to be held at the same time as parliamentary polls, which were not due until 2010. - AFP

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