By Peta Thornycroft, The Telegraph – Apr 26, 2014 – http://tinyurl.com/k42uh9g | Thanks to Golden Age of Gaia.

A majority of the MDC’s national council overwhelmingly voted to suspend Morgan Tsvangirai, 62, and six other party executives Photo: Getty

Zimbabwe’s opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), suspended its founding President Morgan Tsvangirai in Harare on Saturday.

A majority of the MDC’s national council overwhelmingly voted to suspend Mr Tsvangirai, 62, and six other party executives.

The MDC heavily lost disputed elections last year and many blamed Mr Tsvangirai as well as cheating by President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party, for the MDC’s huge loss.

Elton Mangoma, suspended as deputy treasurer-general earlier this year after he asked Mr Tsvangirai to quit, said: “We will now go back to our work, fighting against the dictatorship of Zanu PF rule, and to bring prosperity to Zimbabwe.”

Behind the scenes several top Movement for Democratic Change leaders compiled a dossier of allegations of misuse of party funds by Mr Tsvangirai which insiders say they hope will persuade him to go quietly. He can challenge his suspension.

The MDC’s secretary-general, Tendai Biti, has long opposed Mr Tsvangirai, and was one of the leaders who plotted his ousting.

Some have tipped him to be the next party president.

MDC party spokesman, Douglas Mwonzora, who was also suspended, accused Mr Biti’s supporters of working with Zanu PF to sack Mr Tsvangirai.