Zimbabwe opposition register in fear

MDC activist Nelson Chamisa is turned back from a rally

Candidates for the Zimbabwe general election have formally registered, amid more allegations that campaigning will take place in the shadow of violence.

As nominations closed after a day of special court hearings to check papers, some candidates said they would not dare to campaign openly.

Only a sixth of Zimbabwe's constituencies are safe enough to allow free and fair campaigning

Morgan Tsvangirai

The main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, said it would contest all 120 seats but dozens were too dangerous for campaigning.

At least 27 people already have died in political violence in the past three months, most of them MDC supporters killed by alleged supporters of President Mugabe.

The MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, told the BBC that campaigning would be limited by fears of violence.

He said his party dared not campaign at all in almost 50 seats.

The MDC has said many of its members have been threatened and at least four would-be candidates are already in hiding.

Tsvangirai: Presents greatest political threat to Mugabe in 20 years

"I have had my head above the parapet for so long now that I am used to it, but everyone is very frightened out there," said MDC candidate Mike Auret as he prepared to file his nomination for the Harare Central constituency.

The special courts closed their doors at 1600 local time (1400 GMT). Candidates who are approved have nearly three weeks of campaigning before the poll takes place on 24-25 June.

Candidacy requirements

On electoral roll in constituency

Nominated by 10 voters

Permanent residence since 1985

No criminal record or bankruptcy

State-radio on Friday listed dozens of white Zimbabweans who it said would be barred from voting because they had not taken adequate steps to renounce their right to British nationality.

The warning came as the UN protested over the Zimbabwean Government's decision to push ahead with seizures of white-owned farms.

UN action

The political situation has prompted the United Nations to postpone a visit due this weekend by one of its most senior officials.

The action is intended to show the organisation's disappointment with Harare's decision to pursue plans to compulsorily acquire more than 800 white-owned farms.

President Robert Mugabe recently changed the constitution by decree to allow the forcible seizure of land.