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Mugabe endorsed

HARARE (Zimbabwe): Zimbabwe's ruling party endorsed President Robert Mugabe as its candidate in presidential elections next year, papering over internal divisions about the country's economic meltdown and shrugging off international criticism of the clampdown on Opposition activists. It also decided to increase the number of parliamentary seats from 150 to 210 and from 66 to 84 in the upper House, or Senate, the state media reported on Saturday. The decisions came on Friday, a day after an emergency southern African summit which gave its public backing to Mr. Mugabe. ``It's a tragedy for democracy,'' said Tendai Biti of the Opposition Movement for Democratic Change. ``It is a tragedy not only for the people of Zimbabwe but for his own party,'' he said. The central committee of the ruling Zanu-PF party backed the 83-year-old Mr. Mugabe — the only leader since independence from Britain in 1980 — as its candidate for the 2008 elections, said party spokesman Nathan Shamuyarira.

AP

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