Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe made his last pitch to voters today, insisting that tomorrow's election would be fair despite condemnation from both Europe and the United States.
A fired-up Mr Mugabe told about 5,000 supporters in one Harare's oldest and poorest townships to shun the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which he calls a puppet of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The parliamentary election has already been blasted as "phoney" by the European Union but Mr Mugabe defended the polls and dismissed accusations that his ZANU-PF party has denied food supplies to opposition supporters.
ZANU-PF is widely tipped to win the poll with the MDC cowed by government pressure and weaker than in two previous elections over the last five years, when it came close to shock victories. Voters will choose 120 members of Zimbabwe's 150-seat parliament. The president appoints the remaining 30 seats, so the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change would need to win 76 seats for a majority.
Mr Mugabe said Zimbabweans were better off than most Africans - despite sky-high inflation, soaring unemployment and frequent food shortages - and defended his government's controversial land redistribution programme, saying whites continued to own large tracts of land.
"We are not anti-white, but we are anti-racism," said the 81-year-old leader, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.
Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF hopes to win back urban voters who rejected it in parliamentary and presidential votes in 2000 and 2002. The opposition, which sprang from urban trade unions, has targeted several rural districts to broaden its voter base.
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai toured Chimanimani in eastern Zimbabwe, while other MDC candidates campaigned across the country in a final bid to combat voter apathy. "Our leader is taking the message to the countryside and urging people to keep the motivation to complete the job of hauling ZANU-PF out of power," said the MDC's Nelson Chamisa.
Mr Mugabe has vowed that tomorrow's polls will be free and fair, hoping to persuade critics his government has improved its democratic credentials after the previous elections, which the opposition and several Western countries said were rigged.
Although political violence is down compared to the last two elections, the MDC still charges this year's vote will be unfairly skewed in ZANU-PF's favour, citing tough media and security laws which limit political activity.
The MDC's complaints have been echoed by the European Union and the United States, both of which Mr Mugabe charges want to topple his government because it has seized white-owned farms to give to landless blacks.
The EU warned it would take unspecified steps against Zimbabwe after the poll. US officials also expressed concern, saying the election is unfairly tilted towards the government.