Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is reportedly ready to relinquish power to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, should the premier win the next elections, according to the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper.

By our partner Radio VoP

The Zimbabwe Independent writes that the two political rivals agreed that whoever loses “should accept defeat for the sake of political stability”. In a series of meetings in December over the make-or-break elections, they also agreed to ensure that the polls would be held in a peaceful environment.

Dragged on too long
Mugabe and Tsvangirai, once sworn enemies who now seem to have found each other courtesy of the almost four-year-old Government of National Unity, agreed that the Zimbabwean crisis had dragged on for far too long with devastating socio-economic consequences, and credible elections were crucial to resolving the current political gridlock.

The etiquette of losing
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba confirmed that the principals met several times to discuss the constitution-making process and timing of elections although “no meeting had been convened to discuss the etiquette of winning or losing elections”.

Charamba also confirmed there was an “understanding” that victors should win with grace and losers should accept defeat. He said Mugabe was confident of winning the polls.

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