Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has decided to "defer indefinitely" a national protest that would call for early presidential elections, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said Friday.
MDC's national council met Friday and "resolved to defer indefinitely the staging of a mass action which had been announced earlier by the party," Tsvangirai told a press conference.
He said the party would continue to consider the possibility of staging a mass action, saying the national council would constantly review the form, content and timing of a national protest.
"The burden of responsibility falls squarely on the ZANU-PF government to desist from engaging in suicidal actions that may plunge this country into anarchy and provoke public anger in these volatile times," Tsvangirai said.
The year-old opposition party has repeatedly said it will organize national protests to call for early elections and for President Robert Mugabe to stand down.
In September, Tsvangirai told a rally marking his party's first anniversary that if Mugabe did not quit power peacefully, he would be forced out violently.
MDC lawmakers have already launched a move to impeach Mugabe on allegations of gross misconduct and violations of the constitution.
They say he advocated violence in the run-up to June parliamentary elections -- when more than 30 people were killed -- and failed to uphold court judgements against the often-violent invasions of hundreds of white-owned farms.
A national survey last month showed that 74 percent of Zimbabweans want Mugabe to step down and that 56 percent would like to see him impeached -- HARARE (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
