Zimbabwe violence warning

Office of the war veterans' leader was damaged in fighting

Zimbabwe's main opposition party has predicted further violence by government supporters in the run-up to next month's parliamentary elections.

Anyone knows that, before we even go to the elections, it is not going to be free and fair

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai

Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai said that a climate of violence would render a free vote impossible.

The warning comes as the MDC goes to court to contest electoral arrangements announced by the government, which the opposition says give the ruling Zanu-PF an unfair advantage.

"Violence is going to increase," Mr Tsvangirai told journalists.

Morgan Tsvangirai: Violence will undermine free vote

"Because of the fraudulant nature of the process anyone knows that, before we even go to the elections, it is not going to be free and fair."

At least 21 people have been killed, and many more injured or raped, during recent weeks of violence in which opposition supporters appear to have been the main targets.

Constituencies

The MDC has objected to reports that constituency borders have been changed in its two main strongholds - the capital, Harare, and second city Bulawayo.

"The process is weighed heavily in favour of Zanu-PF because it has information that we do not have," MDC spokesman Learnmore Jongwe told the Zimbabwean press.

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According to a report in the state-owned Herald newspaper, parts of these cities are to be combined with adjoining rural districts, where Zanu-PF support is much stronger.

The MDC believes that this will cause the MDC vote to be diluted.

However, the party says it has not yet been given access to the report by the Delimitation Commission, which sets out the details of the constituencies.

MDC legal officer David Coltart said the party was planning to bring a legal challenge to the holding on 29 May of the nomination court - which will screen all electoral candidates - since the MDC had still not been informed of the constituency boundaries.

Justice Minister Emerson Mnangagwa said the government was within its rights in not disclosing the information, since the commission's report had not been officially released - though it had been shown to the president.

Violence

The most recent outbreak of violence, in a suburb of the capital, Harare, left one person dead.

Police said that at least another 18 people had been injured - four seriously - in the clash between supporters of rival political parties in Harare's Budiriro suburb on Tuesday night.

Members of the Zanu-PF party and the MDC were involved in the fighting, which witnesses said began with attacks on MDC supporters.

But the office of Chenjerai Hunzvi - leader of the Zimbabwe National War Veterans' Association, which has been blamed for earlier violence - was also damaged in the fighting.

President Robert Mugabe announced on Monday that the long-awaited election would be held on 24-25 June.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon met Mr Mugabe on Tuesday, and said he believed that a free and fair election was possible, despite the violence.