We Will Not Let Mugabe Be Beaten, Police and Army Chiefs Warn

Zimbabwe's police and army chiefs have said they will not allow Robert Mugabe to be defeated in this month's presidential election by opposition candidates they deride as "puppets" and "sell-outs" to Britain.

The warning comes amid mounting evidence that Mugabe intends to try to repeat the rigging that he used to steal the 2002 election through intimidating rural voters, padding voters rolls and hindering opposition supporters from casting their ballots on March 29.

The police commissioner, Augustine Chihuri, said he would not recognise a victory by Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, or by Mugabe's former finance minister Simba Makoni, who appears to pose the greater threat to the president after breaking from the ruling Zanu-PF and taking some party members with him.

Chihuri said the opposition candidates would serve Britain by reversing the redistribution of white-owned farms.

"This must serve as warning to puppets. We will not allow any puppets to take charge," he said.

Chihuri's comments follow those by the head of the military, General Constantine Chiwenga, who said "the army will not salute sell-outs and agents of the west before, during and after the elections".

The MDC said Chiwenga's statement amounted to a coup threat.

The rallying of the security chiefs in favor of Mugabe comes as others in Zanu-PF, including some senior military officers and liberation war commanders, have deserted him to support Makoni.

According to Zimbabwe's independent press they include the former army chief Solomon Mujuru, and another ex-general, Vitalis Zvinavashe.

The opposition has accused Mugabe of laying the groundwork for vote-rigging. Rural voters have been warned that food aid will be cut off if they do not vote for the president. The government has also limited the number of polling stations in the cities where support for the opposition is strong in the hopes of discouraging people from voting.

But with his own party split, the president can no longer be certain that any vote-rigging will be entirely in his favor.