Mugabe plans to stand down as Zimbabwe leader [View All]

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says in a forthcoming interview that he will not stand for another term in office, although he has not chosen a successor. The 80-year-old leader, who has ruled this southern African country for the past 24 years, told Britain's Sky News that he wanted to rest and to write.

Asked if he intended to stand for another term in office Mugabe said: "I don't think so, I also want to rest and do a bit of writing."

However, he admitted that he had not yet chosen a successor. The lack of a successor could pose a serious problem to the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) should Mugabe step down, as none of his potential successors appears to enjoy popular support.

This is the first time Mugabe has said he will not stand for another election, although he hinted in an interview with a Kenyan newspaper last week that he was ready to retire. In the wide-ranging interview, Mugabe also hit out at South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu as "evil" and defended his government's forecasts of a bumper harvest this year, despite gloomy estimates by aid agencies that millions of Zimbabweans will face famine.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/24/1085344031034.html