Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe ignores deadline to resign

Jane Onyanga-Omara | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Zimbabwe ruling party fires Robert Mugabe as leader Zimbabwe’s ruling party Central Committee fired longtime President Robert Mugabe as party leader Sunday, saying that if he doesn’t resign as the country’s president by noon Monday they will begin impeachment proceedings.

Zimbabwe’s embattled President Robert Mugabe ignored a deadline by the country’s ruling party to step down Monday, or face impeachment.

The ZANU-PF party dismissed Mugabe, 93, as its leader Sunday and told him he must quit the presidency by noon local time (5 a.m. ET).

The ruling party’s Central Committee was meeting to discuss impeachment after the time limit passed unheeded.

In a draft impeachment motion, Zanu-PF said Mugabe is a “source of instability,” has disrespected the rule of law and caused economic disaster over the past 15 years, Reuters reported.

Mugabe, the world’s oldest head of state, made a televised address to the nation Sunday in which he was widely expected to resign after 37 years in power, but failed to do so.

Opposition activists and the nation's war veterans association announced more demonstrations.

“Your time is up,” said Chris Mutsvangwa, leader of the veterans association, at a news conference. “You should have the dignity and decency to spare the country of further turmoil by simply announcing your departure immediately.”

Thousands Rally Against Mugabe in Zimbabwe Thousands of protesters marched and gathered at State House on Saturday in a call for Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to stand down. (Nov. 18)

Mutsvangwa said the war veterans’ association will go to court to argue that Mugabe is “derelict of his executive duty.”

The Zimbabwean army put Mugabe and his wife Grace under house arrest on Tuesday last week, and also took control of the state broadcaster and the airport in the capital, Harare.

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ZANU-PF's Central Committee is expected to ratify the removal of Mugabe as head of the party, the expulsion of first lady Grace Mugabe and the naming of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who Mugabe recently fired as vice president, as his successor.

Contributing: The Associated Press