Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has hit out at members of his own party for weakening their rule over the country.Zanu-PF has been forced to share power with the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) after disputed polls last year.
"The party is eating itself up. The more intense the internal fighting is, the greater opportunity we give to the opposition to thrive," Mr Mugabe said. Reporters say the party has been riven by squabbles over who should eventually succeed the 85-year-old leader.
"The reason why we lost last year was because of factions in many provinces. This is how the party has suffered damage," Reuters news agency quoted him as telling thousands of delegates at the five-yearly Zanu-PF congress held in the capital, Harare.
It is the party's first gathering since the unity government was formed in February and members are to elect a new vice-president, following the death of Joseph Msika in August.
But there have been complaints from some delegates about a lack of internal party democracy, leading to the recent resignation of one senior party official. Some have called for a secret ballot when votes are held for party positions.
Nevertheless, Mr Mugabe is expected to be re-elected on Saturday as party leader for another five years. The BBC's Karen Allen, who is at the congress, says the party faithful, many of them bussed in from the countryside to attend the event, still hailed the president as their liberation hero.
But she says it is clearly a party under fire, trying to whip its membership into shape as some contemplate what used to be the ultimate taboo - a party without Robert Mugabe at its helm. Mr Mugabe has led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
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