ZIMBABWE: Hungry from food shortages but nervous of the future, Zimbabweans go the polls today to elect a new president following a violent and divisive campaign that threatens to plunge their country further into crisis.
However, hundreds of thousands will be unable to cast their ballots following the failure of last minute court challenges to overturn repressive elections laws yesterday.
The Supreme Court ruled that all Zimbabweans of foreign nationality - mostly black immigrant farm workers but also including many whites - are barred from participating in the hotly contested poll.
As President Robert Mugabe and his challenger Mr Morgan Tsvangirai held their final rallies, Mr Tsvangirai's team said the police and army had violently detained over 90 of their polling agents. On their return from Mr Mugabe's 50th campaign rally in Bindura, 90 kilometres north of Harare, 50 of the polling agents told The Irish Times they had been attacked by Mugabe supporters. Some had gashes and cuts and one agent, Mr J.J. Kundembe, with a large gash on his head, said he had been hit with a brick.
"I'm going back tomorrow [to monitor polling]. I want to see the system changed," he said.
Civic groups warned that massive irregularities in the just-released voter's roll could lead to chaos at polling stations. The government warned that it will not tolerate street protests against vote rigging if Mr Mugabe wins the poll.
The Information Minister, Mr Jonathan Moyo, said on state television that the ruling party would "respond decisively" against "riotous demonstrations" and other acts of "wanton subversion". President Mugabe in Bindura predicted a "resounding victory" early next week once ballots from the two-day poll are counted. The 78-year-old autocrat's re-election campaign has been marred by a countrywide campaign of violence and intimidation against supporters of Mr Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party.
The violence, which sparked EU and US sanctions against Mr Mugabe's inner circle, has been led by a coalition of state security agents, war veterans and pro-government youth militia.
International observers say they are shocked by the level of violence and brutality they have discovered, particularly in remote rural areas.
Mr Tsvangirai held his final rally in the industrial area of Harare. He has been able to hold only one third as many rallies as Mr Mugabe due to the intimidation of his supporters. Mr Mugabe has also been able to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds of state funds on helicopters, police escorts and other state resources. He has accused the MDC of being sponsored by foreign powers.Opinion polls give Mr Tsvangirai a lead over Mr Mugabe but in reality most Zimbabweans are afraid to speak their mind openly.
"We keep quiet about politics in work," said one civil servant in Harare yesterday. "You can be victimised if you don't support the ruling party."
Mr Tsvangirai enjoys most support in urban areas and among the educated classes, Mr Mugabe has his core support in rural areas where his controversial land reforms have won some support. But there are growing signs that many voters will be unable to cast their ballots.
A survey by the Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust found half of the voters were registered in the wrong districts. The research group also found that of 540 dead people checked against the list, four-fifths were still listed as eligible voters. Campaigning has been marked more by vitriolic personal attacks rather than any debate on policy issues. Mr Mugabe has deflected attention from his land policy - which is largely responsible for current food shortages - and has instead focused his attacks on Mr Tony Blair and his black "tea-boy", Mr Tsvangirai.
The government-owned Herald newspaper reported yesterday that Mr Tsvangirai was planning to flee to Britain or South Africa after the election to avoid facing charges of plotting to assassinate Mr Mugabe. An MDC spokesman rejected the report as a "pack of lies".
However, most Zimbabweans are worried about their collapsing economy and chronic shortage of maize, the national staple food. According to aid agency estimates 750,000 people are directly affected by the shortage and up to four million people - almost one third of the population - could soon be on the breadline.