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Timeline: Zimbabwe's tempestuous democracy

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HARARE | Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:52am EDT

HARARE (Reuters) - Following are some key events in the recent history of Zimbabwe, which is voting on Wednesday in an electoral showdown between veteran leader Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, his political nemesis of the last 15 years.

1980 - ZANU-PF wins independence elections, leading to Mugabe's installation as prime minister on April 18. Veteran nationalist rival Joshua Nkomo takes home affairs portfolio.

1983 - Mugabe deploys North Korean-trained 5th Brigade in Western province of Matabeleland to crush rebellion by guerrillas loyal to Nkomo. Government forces are accused of killing thousands of civilians.

1998 - An economic crisis marked by high interest rates and inflation provokes riots and massive support for the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions headed by Tsvangirai.

1999 - The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is formed and Tsvangirai is appointed leader.

2000 - Thousands of independence war veterans, backed by the government, seize hundreds of white-owned farms, saying the land was illegally seized by colonists.

2002 - Mugabe wins six-year term in election against Tsvangirai. Observers condemn poll as flawed and unfair. The Commonwealth subsequently suspends Zimbabwe and the European Union imposes travel bans and assets freezes on Mugabe.

2007 - Tsvangirai and several MDC officials are severely assaulted by police in a crackdown on a pro-democracy march.

2008 - Mugabe loses a first-round contest, paying the price for an economic crisis marked by food shortages, a cholera outbreak and inflation of over 500 billion percent.

Tsvangirai boycotts the runoff because of widespread violence aimed at his supporters.

2009 - Under pressure from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), Mugabe and Tsvangiari form a unity government, with Mugabe retaining the presidency and Tsvangirai becoming prime minister.

2013 - A new constitution agreed by Mugabe and Tsvangirai is approved, paving the way for elections at the end of July.

(Reporting by Cris Chinaka; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)

 
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