Mugabe: we don't rig elections

Last Modified: 29 Mar 2008
By: Jonathan Rugman

Robert Mugabe said ''we don't rig elections'' today as he cast his vote in Harare hoping to win a sixth term in office.

The opposition have accused President Mugabe of trying to fix the elections, but the result is proving hard to predict.

Queues formed early at many polling stations, with Zimbabwe's security forces on full alert for any violence that may erupt.

The polling stations will close tonight and all eyes will then be on the handling of the ballot papers and the counting of the votes.

There are three main Presidential candidates - the incumbent Robert Mugabe, who's been in power since independence from Britain 28 years ago; the Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who narrowly lost the disputed elections in 2002; and Mr Mugabe's former finance minister, the independent Simba Makoni.

Our diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Rugman reports on polling day in Zimbabwe.