Zimbabwe's ruling party plans to impeach Mugabe

Zimbabwe's ruling party Zanu-PF is set to begin impeachment proceedings in the Parliament against President Robert Mugabe, a media report said.

The decision comes after Mugabe ignored the deadline set by the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) for him to step down as part of an arrangement to end the crisis Zimbabwe faces after the army takeover last week, Efe news reported.

The party instructed the head of its parliamentary group to proceed with the vote of no confidence against Mugabe on Tuesday, ZANU-PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo told a press conference, reading from a statement.

All but 30 of the 260 ZANU-PF members of Parliament voted at a party meeting in favour of impeaching Mugabe.

Tensions erupted earlier this month when Mugabe fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa in an apparent bid to clear the path for first lady Grace Mugabe to eventually take the reins in Zimbabwe.

The President was expected to announce he would step down as head of state during a nationally televised speech on Sunday night, just days after the military placed him under house arrest.

Instead, he said he would preside over an upcoming conference of the ZANU-PF.

In a related development, the head of the armed forces said on Monday that Mnangagwa, who left the country after his dismissal, would return to Zimbabwe for talks with Mugabe.

--IANS

amit