Zimbabwean President agrees to resignation conditions

CNN on November 20 cited internal Zimbabwean negotiations as saying that President Robert Mugabe agreed to the conditions to leave the chair he has held for decades.

Mr. Mugabe (right) met with Zimbabwean military leaders on November 19. Photo: Reuters

The sources said the army generals had accepted President Mugabe's demands such as pardoning him and his wife and allowing him to keep his personal assets.

Previously, the military allowed Mr. Mugabe to appear in public to officially announce the return of power, but he firmly refused to mention resigning.

To make his resignation official, Mr. Mugabe has completed a letter to notify the speaker of Zimbabwe's National Assembly. However, it is not clear exactly when Mr. Mugabe will leave.

Meanwhile, Reuters quoted ousted vice president Chris Mutsvangwa as saying that military generals will trigger legal proceedings in court to remove Mr. Mugabe and called on the leader of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), South African President Jacob Zuma, to support this.

President Mugabe and his wife have been under house arrest for many days. Photo: Reuters

On the afternoon of November 19, Mr. Robert Mugabe, 93-year-old President of Mugabe, was ousted as Chairman of the ZANU-PF Party. Mr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, former Vice President who was fired by Mr. Mugabe, became his replacement.

President Mugabe was placed under house arrest after the army sent armored vehicles and mobilized soldiers into the capital Harare on November 15. Since then, the 93-year-old leader has faced repeated calls to resign with increasing pressure.

The ZANU-PF party has given Mr. Mugabe a deadline to resign by noon on November 20 or face impeachment.

Observers say the move to elect Mr. Mnangagwa as chairman of the ruling party today is an important step.

If President Mugabe resigns now, amid mounting pressure on him, Mr Mnangagwa would take over and remain president until the end of next year.

Zimbabwe's future will then be decided by the 2018 general elections.

According to Tuoi Tre