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SENIOR MOVEMENT for Democratic Change (MDC) politician, Roy Bennett has claimed Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe is just a front man for a military dictatorship that refuses to relinquish power in the country.

The outspoken adviser to prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai told the BBC that Mr Mugabe wanted to stand down after losing out to the MDC leader in the first round of the 2008 presidential election, but a small clique of generals forced him to stay on so they could continue to enrich themselves at the expense of Zimbabwe’s people. “They [the generals] have created huge wealth illegally. They have the power through the barrel of a gun. This junta will not allow power to be released hang on to that power and wealth that they hold now.”