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Military threatens Zimbabwe's constitution

Published: March 10, 2008 at 1:09 PM

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HARARE, Zimbabwe, March 10 (UPI) -- The army commander of Zimbabwe threatened to override the constitutional order if President Robert Mugabe is not re-elected, a report said.

Zimbabwe's Defense Forces Commander Gen. Constantine Chiwenga told reporters there was "nothing wrong" with the military backing the president, the New Zimbabwean reported Monday.

"Elections are coming and the army will not support or salute sell-outs and agents of the West before, during and after the presidential elections," Chiwenga said.

President Mugabe, 84, has reportedly called his main opponents -- Morgan Tsvangirai, president of the Movement for Democratic Change, and former Finance Minister Simba Makoni -- "prostitutes, witches and British stooges."

The Movement for Democratic Change denounced the military's threats to override the constitutional order.

"The MDC believes it is a flagrant affront to the Constitution of Zimbabwe for a service chief to tell uniformed officers to vote for a particular candidate in an election," a statement from the party said.

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