Zimbabwe opposition predicts victory

Word on the street: Newspapers step up coverage

Zimbabwe's main opposition party says it will win parliamentary elections this weekend if they are not rigged.

I know for certain that any result that does not give the MDC a majority will have been seriously rigged

Morgan Tsvangirai

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), said his party should gain a majority in a parliament dominated by the governing Zanu-PF party for 20 years.

But President Robert Mugabe has hit back at Mr Tsvangirai, calling him "a stooge of outside powers" and saying he would be defeated.

Mr Tsvangirai was speaking after another of his supporters was beaten to death, allegedly by members of Zanu-PF.

At least 30 people, mainly opposition supporters, have died in violence linked to the elections and invasions of white-owned farms by ruling party supporters.

Mr Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare that nearly 70% of Zimbabweans want change in this country, but queried how that would be translated into seats.

"I know for certain that any result that does not give the MDC a majority will have been seriously rigged," he said

Mugabe campaigns

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has continued his campaigning with a rally in the southern town of Masvingo.

Morgan Tsvangirai: "70% of Zimbabweans want change"

He addressed supporters gathered in a local football stadium,

On the issue of land, he said that if Britain wanted to give compensation to white farmers, then Zimbabwe would accept it.

If not, Britain could keep the money and Zimbabweans would take the land.

And he said he would never send the army or the police in against war veterans who had invaded commercial farms.

On the subject of Mr Tsvangirai, the president said he might win an election overseas, but would be defeated at home.

Hundreds beaten

The MDC said Zeke Chigagwa was killed on Wednesday morning in Makanganwa about 300km west of Harare.

Our member was approached by a group of Zanu-PF members at his home who accused him of... campaigning for the MDC. He was beaten to death.

MDC spokeswoman Charlene Smith

Hundreds of others have been beaten and intimidated in what human rights organisations have condemned as a state-sponsored terror campaign designed to crush the opposition.

The MDC says no arrests have been made over the murder of any of its activists.

Earlier, the government dismissed international criticism of its decision to prevent about 200 foreign monitors observing the election.

Robert Mugabe: Morgan Tsvangirai is a stooge

A US State Department spokesman called the ban on monitors from non-governmental organisations an outrageous step that would diminish the credibility of the elections and tarnish the reputation of Zimbabwe.

But a Zanu-PF official, Professor Jonathan Moyo, said there was no law obliging the country to use international observers for the elections.

He said he was confident that the monitors selected by the ruling party would do a fair and accurate job.

Monitors sent by international organisations such as the European Union and the Commonwealth are not affected by the ban.

About 300 foreign observers from the EU, the Commonwealth, the Organisation of African Unity, South Africa, Japan, Australia and Canada have been approved by Harare.