Opinion
Barry Artiste
Guess Mugabe should get used to the Boos. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=749653
Mugabe booed at Zimbabwe parliament opening
Cris Chinaka, Reuters (Photo Inset) Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe arrives for the official opening of the Parliament in Harare, Aug. 26, 2008, where he was welcomed with jeers by the opposition.
HARARE — Opposition parliamentarians jeered and booed Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe as he reopened parliament on Tuesday in spite of their protests, but he said he was still hopeful for a power-sharing deal.
Heckling by parliamentarians from the main opposition party drowned out Mr. Mugabe’s speech and Morgan Mr. Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said reconvening parliament could undermine deadlocked talks aimed at ending Zimbabwe’s crisis.
“Landmark agreements have been concluded, with every expectation that everyone will sign up,” said Mr. Mugabe, 84, whose ZANU-PF party goes into the new parliament without a majority for the first time since independence from Britain in 1980.
“The elections are now behind us, what is upon us is a challenge of vision and common purposes. Now is the time for us to put Zimbabwe first,” Mr. Mugabe said. Opposition MPs snubbed Mr. Mugabe by not rising when he entered the chamber and chanted “ZANU is rotten!”
The MDC, which does not recognize Mr. Mugabe as president, said he had no right to open the chamber.
Mr. Mugabe was re-elected unopposed in a June vote boycotted by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai because of violence and condemned around the world.
The opposition party said three of its members of parliament were arrested at parliament on Tuesday on what it called trumped-up political violence charges.
Tags: Zimbabwe | Parliament | opinion | World | HARARE | Robert Mugabe | Democratic Change (MDC)