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Mati Maravanyika,

Editor (Africa)

 

HARARE – Zimbabwe’s principal opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), boycotted the new parliamentary ceremony. During the ceremony, President Robert Mugabe urged the West “to lift sanctions on him and his Zanu PF party leadership.”

The 89 year old ruler stated; “with the elections now behind us, we look forward to meaningful and effective collaboration with all progressive members of the global community.” He also said that he was willing and ready to work with his nation’s “detractors”, adding that “Zimbabwe will continue to demand the immediate and unconditional removal of illegal sanctions imposed by some Western arrogant countries.”

Spokesman for the MDC party, Douglas Mwonzora commented on the parliamentary opening, saying “[The party] would have recognized a stolen election had [they] attended the ceremony,” adding that the opposition would attend future parliamentary sessions.

Mugabe’s was re-elected in Zimbabwe’s July 31st elections, extending his 33-year leadership by 5 years. The elections were declared “a monumental fraud” by former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who alleged that Mugabe and his party had rigged the votes.

Mugabe recently made the controversial decision to seize “majority stake of foreign-owned firms and giving them to black natives of Zimbabwe.” He believes that the Zimbabwe’s economy would flourish with the financial help from countries such as India and China.
Image Courtesy: Fvasconcellos, via Wikimedia Commons