Military

DATE=10/25/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ZIMBABWE / POLITICS (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-268428

BYLINE=MARTIN RUSHMERE

DATELINE=HARARE

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The opposition movement in Zimbabwe has taken a first step toward trying to remove President Robert Mugabe from office, by presenting Parliament with a formal motion for the president's impeachment. Martin Rushmere reports from Harare, where the impeachment proposal caused an outburst in Parliament.

TEXT: An uproar broke out when Gibson Sibanda, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change [M-D-C], announced the impeachment proposal. Members of the ruling ZANU-P-F party booed and shouted, "No," while opposition members cheered and applauded.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, the speaker of parliament, says he will study the document to make sure it is drawn up according to the national constitution. Mr. Mnangagwa prohibited the document from being released publicly, and said he will report back to parliament at an unspecified later date.

The proposal accuses President Mugabe of being guilty of "gross misconduct."

David Coltart, the opposition legal-affairs spokesman, says a special committee of members of Zimbabwe's parliament will have to be set up to discuss the impeachment proposal.

Mr. Coltart says no specific procedure is set out for impeachment proceedings, and this is likely to lead to complications and delays. Public hearings might be held, says Mr. Coltart, and President Mugabe might be called on to give evidence.

The support of 100 of the 150 members of parliament is needed to remove President Mugabe from office. The Movement for Democratic Change has 57 seats and is fairly sure of getting at least another 10 votes.

One of the biggest challenges the M-D-C says it faces to the impeachment is a secret vote - something the opposition party favors. Parliamentary committees usually decide on proposals by a show of hands, but the M-D-C says impeachment is too important to follow this custom.

The opposition also wants the chief justice of Zimbabwe's Supreme Court to head any impeachment hearings.

The M-D-C says it will appeal to the Supreme Court if the ruling party blocks the impeachment move by unfair or illegal means.

Members of the opposition admit their chances of removing President Mugabe are slim. They say the main aim is to tell Zimbabwe and the world what is happening here.

The impeachment proposal came shortly after President Mugabe told a meeting of his ruling party that some of their members are siding with the opposition over impeachment. He again accused the M-D-C of being what he calls "a puppet organization of whites," and predicted the M-D-C would never come to power. (Signed)

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