Mugabe opponent predicts early poll

Tsvangirai: "Systematic attacks" on opposition

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader has predicted that the government will call an early presidential election before the end of this year.

President Robert Mugabe's term in office expires in 2001.

The government is acting in a panic... hitting out at everyone it perceives to be an enemy

Morgan Tsvangirai

But Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), predicted in a BBC interview that the government, beset by "panic", would call an election in August this year.

The newly-formed MDC received nearly half of the popular vote in Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections last year.

"The government is acting in a panic, it is clear it is acting like it is under siege and therefore hitting out at everyone it perceives to be an enemy," Mr Tsvangirai told BBC2's Newsnight programme.

'Ready for them'

Referring to the recent crackdown on the press and attempts to force Supreme Court judges to step down, he said: "All this scenario is being built towards an early presidential election this year."

But Mr Tsavangirai said an early poll would suit his own party.

Mugabe: "Completely false" reporting in Western media

"August is quite ideal for us. We will be ready for them," he said.

He said Zimbabwean voters were aware of measures taken to silence dissent, including attacks on the judiciary, the bombing of an opposition newspaper and the arrests of opposition leaders.

"They are all systematic attacks on those that have dissenting voices," Mr Tsvangirai said.

Journalists expelled

His comments came after BBC journalist Joseph Winter fled Zimbabwe following the withdrawal of his visa, and the picketing of his home in Harare by armed men.

Winter: Expulsion prompted diplomatic concern

Mercedes Sayagues, a Uraguyan journalist working for the South African Mail and Guardian newspaper, was also expelled from Zimbabwe.

The UK Foreign Office summoned the Zimbabwean High Commissioner in London, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, to express its concerns about the expulsion of Mr Winter.

President Mugabe did not respond directly to the concerns, but told diplomats in Harare that the Western media was damaging the country's image abroad with "completely false" reporting.

"We are still the subject of malicious propaganda by external forces opposed to the land reform programme. This is affecting our image abroad,"

Court challenge

Also on Monday, Mr Tsvangirai launched a court challenge to last year's parliamentary election results, arguing that the ruling Zanu-PF party had used violence and intimidation to secure its victory.

"This had a big impact on our own campaign and the eventual result," Mr Tsvangirai told the High Court in Harare.

"The turnout dropped as a result of the violence and the fear that had been sown," he said.