7th Parliament of Zimbabwe Mugabe announced his intention to open Parliament in the subsequent week, five months after the parliamentary election was held. Due to ongoing negotiations over the disputed election, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai party saw this as unacceptable, with MDC–T Secretary-General Tendai Biti stating that it would "be a clear repudiation of the Memorandum of Understanding, and an indication beyond reasonable doubt of ZANU–PF's unwillingness to continue to be part of the talks. In short, convening Parliament decapitates the dialogue." Nevertheless, Parliament was convened on 25 August 2008. That morning, Mugabe appointed 11 senators, including eight of the
Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day is a public holiday in Zimbabwe commemorating former President Robert Mugabe. The ZANU–PF Youth League has commemorated Robert Mugabe on his birthday in 21 February for years as part of its 21st February Movement which was established in 1986. The youth arm of the ruling party lobbied for the former president's birthday to be declared a national holiday for what the organization says the leader's role in empowering the country's youth. The day was formally recognized as a national holiday on 24 November 2017 on the same day