Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe ruled out bringing forward general elections due in March next year, saying they will be held as scheduled to ensure a level playing field, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
The 80-year-old leader, whose Zanu-PF commands a majority in Parliament, said it would be ”undemocratic” to call an early poll.
”We do not waylay the opposition or any other parties by calling for an abrupt election,” the state-run Herald quoted Mugabe as saying.
”I think it’s undemocratic. Why should you not warn the opposition so that they prepare themselves?” said Mugabe, confirming that ”parliamentary elections will be held in March next year”.
There has been speculation that Mugabe might call for an early poll.
Four years ago the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) stormed on to Zimbabwe’s political stage, taking nearly half the contested parliamentary seats in 2000 elections.
However, the MDC has lost ground, losing five of its seats to Mugabe’s party in subsequent by-elections. — Sapa-AFP