Military

DATE=3/8/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=ZIMBABWE / VOTE (L-O)

NUMBER=2-287263

BYLINE=CHALLISS McDONOUGH

DATELINE=HARARE

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

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INTRO: Zimbabwe's main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, says this weekend's presidential election cannot be considered free and fair. As V-O-A's Challiss McDonough reports from Harare, he refused to say whether he would accept a victory by the ruling party.

TEXT: Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai told reporters the ruling party has tried, in his words, every trick in the book to ensure a victory at the polls.

/// TSVANGIRAI ACT ///

The conditions under which these elections are being held do not resemble anything near a free and fair election. I think it is commonly agreed that technically this election cannot be considered free and fair. Even if the M-D-C resoundingly wins the election, as is widely expected by the people of Zimbabwe and as we shall all witness over the weekend, the point will still have to be made that the electoral process has been blatantly and outrageously distorted in favor of the ruling party.

/// END ACT ///

Despite that allegation, Mr. Tsvangirai refused to say whether his party would accept anything other than an M-D-C victory. He said he is confident the Zimbabwean people will support him at the polls.

To support his claim that the election will not be free and fair, Mr. Tsvangirai cites widespread violence and intimidation in the run-up to the poll. He says 22 of the party's polling agents have been abducted by ruling-party militants during the past few days alone.

The M-D-C leader spoke at his last news conference before the voting begins on Saturday. The briefing was originally scheduled to take place at a hotel where many foreign journalists are staying during the elections. But he says he was forced to move the news conference to the party headquarters after police warned it would be considered an illegal political gathering.

Mr. Tsvangirai is running against incumbent President Robert Mugabe, the former liberation struggle leader who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.

The ruling party, ZANU-P-F, has focused on the liberation struggle and the redistribution of land during its campaign. It has dismissed any allegations that ZANU-P-F supporters are responsible for most of the pre-election violence.

At a government-sponsored cocktail party late Wednesday, Information Minister Jonathan Moyo told reporters that in his eyes the fairness of the poll will be judged by the state-appointed Electoral Supervisory Commission, not by the international community.

/// MOYO ACT ///

I am very satisfied that so far we have done what is necessary in terms of the elections in accordance with our constitution and the laws, and that is what for us should constitute a free and fair election, whether our laws and our constitution are being applied.

/// END ACT ///

The message was clear, the government is happy to host international election observers, but does not really care what they think. (SIGNED)

NEB/CEM/KL/RAE