Robert Mugabe to meet with ousted VP as impeachment looms
Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN)Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has agreed to direct talks with the former Vice President he recently fired, the country's military chief said Monday.
Emmerson Mnangagwa has been out of the country since Mugabe ousted him earlier this month. His ouster triggered a political crisis amid repeated calls for Mugabe to step down.
Zimbabwe's military has agreed with Mugabe on a "roadmap on the prevailing situation in the country," Gen. Constantino Chiwenga told reporters. Mnangagwa will soon be returning to Zimbabwe to meet with the veteran leader.
"The nation will be advised on the outcome of talks between the two," he said.
Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which he co-founded and led for nearly four decades, ousted the 93-year-old as party leader on Sunday and gave him an ultimatum -- relinquish the presidency by midday on Monday or face an impeachment vote in Parliament. The party has said it will introduce that plan to Parliament on Tuesday.
Mugabe has refused to answer repeated calls to step down even after effectively being stripped of his powers.
A source told CNN that Mugabe had agreed to terms for his resignation in talks with military leaders who have seized control in the country, and that a letter had been drafted. But the midday deadline for his resignation passed Monday with no word from the defiant leader.
Latest developments:
Mugabe loses allies: The embattled President has lost his most powerful associates, his party and control of the military, and tens of thousands of people have protested to call for his ouster.
Mugabe's odd speech: The nation was stunned Sunday when instead of hearing Mugabe deliver his resignation speech, it looked on as he gave a rambling televised address that raised more questions than answers.
Deal or no deal?: A source told CNN earlier Monday that the military had given into demands from the President for full immunity for himself and his wife, but there is still no confirmation that Mugabe has accepted a deal.
Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Business continues as usual in Harare as roadside vendors sell vegetables on November 16.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Members of the military check a gun as they stand atop an armored vehicle parked in Harare's central district on November 16.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An overview of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, on November 16.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
A banner of Mugabe remains outside the ZANU-PF headquarters in Harare on November 16.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An armored vehicle patrols a street in Harare on Wednesday, November 15. In a dramatic televised statement, an army spokesman denied that a military takeover was underway, but the situation bore all the hallmarks of one. The military said Mugabe and his family were "safe."
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers seal off a main road to the parliament building in Harare on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers patrol a street in Harare on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers inspect a vehicle on a road leading to Mugabe's office in Harare on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Residents in Zimbabwe's capital line up to withdraw money from a bank on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Two pedestrians pass behind an armored personnel carrier stationed at an intersection in Harare on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
A man in Harare reads a special edition of The Herald newspaper on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
An armored military vehicle is seen outside the building of the state-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp. on November 15.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Soldiers monitor traffic in Harare on November 15 as the military set up checkpoints at key locations in the city.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
In a screen grab of a TV broadcast on the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corp., Maj. Gen. Sibusiso Moyo reads a statement saying the military was conducting an operation to target "criminals" close to the President who were causing "social and economic suffering." He denied a coup was underway.
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Photos: Political upheaval grips Zimbabwe
Students from the University of Zimbabwe participate in a demonstration in Harare on Monday, November 20. Tens of thousands of people have protested in the streets for the ouster of longtime President Robert Mugabe, who has refused to step down from office despite a military takeover of the country last week. Mugabe, 93, has led Zimbabwe for nearly four decades.
