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 PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) - President Thabo Mbeki, humiliated by losing the contest to lead the country's ruling party, on Friday ruled out the possibility of early elections and said it would be business as usual for his government.
Mbeki said he had no plans to leave office early, even though African National Congress delegates snubbed him and most of his allies in voting for party posts this week, backing controversial new party leader Jacob Zuma, Zuma's loyalists and others with leftist constituencies.
"I would expect the government to serve its term until the elections in 2009," Mbeki said at a news conference at government headquarters in Pretoria — his first public comments since he was trounced by Zuma.
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