MOSCOW, December 7 (Sputnik) — Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party has re-elected 90-year old President Robert Mugabe as party leader for another five-year term, the New Zimbabwe newspaper reports.
Mugabe was also given the freedom to personally choose his vice-president and other top party posts, making him ZANU-PF candidate for the country's 2018 presidential elections at the age of 94, the newspaper said Saturday.
These developments were widely expected following Mugabe's over 30-year rule of the country amid claims of fraudulent elections. However, the population is taken back by his readiness to cling to power despite his age, as reported by the newspaper.
Mugabe also named his wife Grace as leader of the party's Women's League and thanked his supporters for electing him.
Mugabe came into power when Zimbabwe gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1980. During Mugabe's rule, almost all his political opponents have been accused of plotting to assassinate him with no plausible evidence ever uncovered.
Mugabe is further seen as a major hindrance to the country's progress, particularly economically, following the seizing of white-owned farming land in 2000, and a consequent hyperinflation exceeding 1,000 percent in 2006. The economic situation was eased in 2009 when Zimbabwe abandoned its currency for multiple foreign currencies including the US dollar, euros and British pounds. The country still does not have a national currency.
