Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe addresses at a meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 27, 2017. Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe on Thursday urged her husband President Robert Mugabe to name a successor and effectively kill factionalism currently gripping the ruling ZANU-PF party. (Xinhua/Stringer)
HARARE, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean First Lady Grace Mugabe on Thursday urged her husband President Robert Mugabe to name a successor and effectively kill factionalism currently gripping the ruling ZANU-PF party.
In remarks broadcast by state television while addressing a meeting of the party's women's wing, Grace Mugabe said there was nothing amiss about the veteran leader naming his successor as other leaders had previously done so.
"There is no succession that can be done without the involvement of President Mugabe. He has a say as a citizen of this country. I know the President has said no, I don't want to impose any candidate but I have always argued with him that you have a role and the right to be part of that process," the First Lady said.
She said the president's word on his successor, if he decides to name one, will be final.
Mugabe has previously said he will not name a successor and will let the people and his party to choose the person.
Grace, who is the chairperson of ZANU-PF's women wing, said the women's wing will fully back the named successor.
Grace spoke as the ruling party is battling intense factionalism as senior members vie to succeed Mugabe who will seek re-election in next year's polls when he will be 94.
Meanwhile, the First Lady called for the amendment of ZANU-PF's constitution to reinstate a provision requiring that one of the party's two vice presidents and second secretary be a woman.
She also called for 50-50 gender representation in key decision-making positions in public institutions.
