Zimbabwe poll fraud fears

Thousands of MDC-T supporters have now gathered in central Harare in the final stretch of prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai's campaign to wrest the presidency from Robert Mugabe.

Read more: Robert Mugabe insists Zimbabwe's elections will be 'free and fair'

Almost 750,000 new voters have registered ahead of the July 31 polls. In past polls, the young have shunned elections but it is believed that this time, youth and rural voters may well decide the victor.

This year's short election campaign period has been largely free of the violence that has marred previous polls.

President Robert Mugabe has reiterated his accusation that Britain urged western countries to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe in response to the controversial seizures of white-owned farms in the early 2000s.

Speaking to ITV News, Mr Mugabe said that Britain's then prime minister Tony Blair had been angered over the decision to go ahead with the redistribution programme.

"Because of that, he felt offended. He did not want to tell the rest of Europe what the actual cause of our differences was," he said.

Read more: Robert Mugabe insists Zimbabwe's elections will be 'free and fair'

President Robert Mugabe has been addressing voters at a ZANU-PF rally in Harare today. He has denied his party has rigged the forthcoming elections this week and insists they will be free and fair.

Read more: Robert Mugabe insists Zimbabwe's elections will be 'free and fair'.

Supporters of Morgan Tsvangirai's party MDC-T have gathered in Harare ahead of Wednesday's elections to back the prime minister in his bid for the presidency.

After four years in coalition with Robert Mugabe, Mr Tsvangirai says there is no basis for any government of national unity this time.

MDC-T supporters have faced intimidation by members of Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF's youth wing in the run-up to elections, Mr Tsvangirai claims.

Read more: Robert Mugabe insists Zimbabwe's elections will be 'free and fair'

Zimbabwe's Prime Minster Morgan Tsvangirai said today that President Robert Mugabe will not be allowed to subvert the results of an election due to be held in two days.

Zimbabweans go to the polls on Wednesday in a watershed election that will end a troubled coalition government.

• Morgan Tsvangirai is making a third run at Zimbabwe's presidency this Wednesday
• President Mugabe is seeking to extend his 33-year hold on power after leading the former Rhodesia to independence from Britain in 1980.

• In 2008, presidential election results after five weeks showed Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.
• Mugabe has warned his rival that he will be arrested if he claims victory before official results are announced.

• Tsvangirai has accused Mugabe's ZANU-PF party of trying to rig the polls, but says he expects an overwhelming victory.
• This year's short election campaign period has been largely free of the violence that has marred previous polls.

Zimbawean President Robert Mugabe tells me he is confident of victory in this week's elections which he says will be free and fair despite what critics say.

The 89-year-old even asked me to box with him to show how fit he is.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has warned his main rival Morgan Tsvangirai that he will be arrested if he claims victory before official results are announced in this week's elections

In his final campaign rally ahead of Wednesday's presidential and parliamentary polls, Mugabe said his ZANU-PF party was confident of victory.

Meanwhile, Morgan Tsvangirai told his supporters that although ZANU-PF was trying to rig the elections, he expected an overwhelming victory and did not have to wait for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

In 2008, the election commission announced presidential election results after five weeks, which showed Tsvangirai had beaten Mugabe but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.