Zimbabwe opposition group moves to suspend leader Morgan Tsvangirai
MDC group 'suspends' long-time leader in move that boosts the ageing Mugabe
A faction in Zimbabwe's main opposition movement said it had suspended party leader Morgan Tsvangirai for "fascist" tendencies and failing to oust President Robert Mugabe, deepening divisions in the opposition ranks.
The group led by Tendai Biti, secretary-general of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), accused Tsvangirai, 62, and his backers of resisting a leadership change after losing a third general election to Mugabe, 90, last July and of using violence against internal challengers.
The turmoil is a gift to Mugabe, Africa's oldest leader, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980 despite frequent Western criticism over human rights and accusations of economic mismanagement.
In a statement after a day-long meeting on Saturday, Biti's faction said Tsvangirai and his deputy, Thokozani Khupe, had been suspended for deviating from democracy and failing to effectively tackle Mugabe.
"The MDC as we know it has abandoned its original founding values and principles," it said. "The party has been hijacked by a dangerous fascist clique bent on destroying the same and totally working against the working people of Zimbabwe."
Tsvangirai's faction immediately dismissed the move as unconstitutional and meaningless.