Mugabe Predicts Victory in Zimbabwe's Election

 



  Zimbabwe's incumbent President Robert Mugabe Saturday predicted 
victory in the country's two- horse presidential race, saying 
that he will accept the outcome of the election because he will 
have defeated Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for 
Democratic Change (MDC).

  Looking tired but blithesome after more than a month of daily 
election campaigns throughout the southern African country, 
Mugabe cast his vote in a weekend presidential poll, in which he 
is facing a serious challenge from his main rival Tsvangirai.

  The Zimbabwean veteran leader, who has been in power since the 
country gained independence from Britain in 1980, was 
accompanied to the polling station at a school in the poor 
suburb of Highfield in the capital Harare by family members, 
including two children.

  He told journalists after casting his ballot that he was more 
than confident of winning the election.

  "I will accept the results more than anything because I will 
have won," said Mugabe.

  He said those who thought the election process would be rigged 
were supporters of the MDC party, adding that they were 
prejudging and wanted to direct the process.

  Tension has risen sharply in Zimbabwe in recent months, after 
long and sometimes violent election campaigns. The MDC party has 
accused Mugabe of using violence and other electoral 
manipulation to rig the poll.

  While defying international pressure to back down from his 
controversial land reforms, Mugabe has said he needs a new six- 
year mandate to complete the reforms.

  Under these reforms, the Zimbabwean government has taken over 
excess and idle farms from white farmers, who own the bulk of 
the country's arable land, to resettle landless peasants.

  Nearly 500,000 people have been resettled since the beginning of 
last year.

  However, the program has drawn sharp international rebuke, 
particularly from former colonial power Britain, but Mugabe has 
vowed to press ahead with the reforms.

  The European Union imposed sanctions on Mugabe and 19 of his 
close associates last month, while the United States took the 
same move, accusing Mugabe of violating human rights and 
cracking down on the opposition, the media and judiciary.

  The controversial land reform is the pillar of Mugabe's 
electoral strategy, which political analysts say could work 
either way.

  In Mugabe's view, the March election is a new chapter in his 
long struggle against colonial rule, which he led from the early 
1960s until the country's independence.

  "We have to deliver and safeguard the most important heritage to 
the young generation - land - which was taken from our 
forefathers by force," he told a recent rally.

  Mugabe even talked about his desire to keep safeguarding 
Zimbabwe's sovereignty and land in spirit when he dies, a dream 
which the veteran leader said forced him to sacrifice a bright 
teaching career in the 1950s to lead his compatriots out of 
colonial rule.

  But that ambition would be fully tested at the ballot box this 
weekend.



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