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Zimbabwe: Opposition MDC suspends Morgan Tsvangirai | Zimbabwe: Opposition MDC suspends Morgan Tsvangirai |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change says it is suspending its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, amid deepening divisions in its ranks. | |
A statement issued by the party after a meeting in Harare accused him of a "remarkable failure of leadership". | |
It also said he had deviated from the party's democratic founding principles. | |
Mr Tsvangirai lost a third election challenge to veteran President Robert Mugabe in 2013 and defied calls to stand down after this defeat. | |
The MDC leadership is reported to have been riven with in-fighting for months since then. | |
A BBC reporter in Zimbabwe says the MDC appears to be heading for a split that will only strengthen Mr Mugabe's hold on power. | |
Several other senior party figures were also reported to have been suspended at Saturday's meeting, and some suspended members to have been reinstated. | |
Tensions brewing | |
The MDC statement said the party had been "transformed into a fiefdom of the leader" under Mr Tsvangirai. It also accused him of sponsoring a culture of violence against MDC members not aligned with him. | |
MDC Secretary General Tendai Biti, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, said Mr Tsvangirai and some other senior officials had "betrayed" the MDC's struggle, AFP reported. | |
But an MDC spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, maintained that Mr Tsvangirai remained the MDC's legitimate leader. | |
"This was not a national council meeting," he told AFP. | |
David Coltart, a founding member of the MDC, told the BBC that Mr Tsvangirai's suspension - although not unexpected - was a bad thing for democracy in Zimbabwe. | |
"I'm not surprised this has happened because tensions have been brewing for quite a long time. | |
"But I am concerned about this. What we need in the opposition is consolidation, not further splitting. | |
"Morgan Tsvangirai, for whatever can be levelled against him, remains a very popular figure and we really do need him as part of the overall democratic forces," Mr Coltart said. | |
From 2009-2013 Mr Tsvangirai served as prime minister in a fragile power-sharing government, with Mr Mugabe remaining Zimbabwe's president. | |
That unity government ended with the elections in July 2013. | That unity government ended with the elections in July 2013. |
Mr Mugabe's party won a huge majority in the vote, which Mr Tsvangirai dismissed as fraudulent. | Mr Mugabe's party won a huge majority in the vote, which Mr Tsvangirai dismissed as fraudulent. |
His defeat was a major setback for a man who for many years posed the only credible challenge to President Mugabe. | His defeat was a major setback for a man who for many years posed the only credible challenge to President Mugabe. |