Opponents say Mugabe undermining election

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's opponents joined together on Thursday and accused him of plotting to rig Saturday's election, the toughest battle of his 28 years in power.

After Mugabe handed out hundreds of cars to doctors in what critics say is a vote buying campaign, he faced fresh accusations that he would steal the poll.

Mugabe has vowed to crush old rival Morgan Tsvangirai and ruling ZANU-PF party defector Simba Makoni. Both accuse Mugabe of wrecking what was once one of Africa's most promising economies.

Makoni and the two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said they had more evidence of planned ballot rigging and believed Mugabe was planning to declare victory with almost 60 percent of the vote.

Tsvangirai, Makoni and Arthur Mutambara, leader of the MDC's smaller faction, told reporters after holding talks that Mugabe had undermined chances of a fair election.

"We believe there is a very well thought out, sophisticated and premeditated plan to steal this election from us," Makoni said after the meeting. "We are satisfied that the integrity and credibility of this election is gravely in doubt."

Mutambara, leader of a group that split from MDC leader Tsvangirai's main faction in 2005, has backed Makoni, who is seen as an underdog behind Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

BATTERED HEALTH SYSTEM