The long-awaited second round follows a disputed March 29 election in which official results showed opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.

Mugabe told a ruling ZANU-PF party conference on Friday the result had been “disastrous”, and vowed he would not lose power to an opposition he said was backed by “a hostile axis of powerful foreign governments” and Western imperialists. Zimbabweans are hoping the poll will help end political and economic turmoil and put their country on the road to recovery. But analysts warned there was no quick fix after years of decay and the widespread violence that followed the March vote.

“A poll shall be taken on Friday the 27th June, 2008, for the purpose of electing a person to the office of president,” a notice in a government gazette said.

Former guerrilla leader Mugabe, 84, had already said he would participate in the run-off. Tsvangirai, who has been abroad since shortly after the March election to garner support, said on Friday he would take part as well.

He said he planned to return home for the first time since April 8 later in the day.

“We will participate in the run-off but ... violence has to cease for an election to be conducted or that election will not be legitimate,” he told reporters at a conference in Belfast.

Noel Kututwa, chairman of independent election observer group the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said, “To hold an election under these circumstances ... I think the legitimacy of that election will be called into question.”

The regional SADC grouping which is due to monitor the run-off said earlier this week conditions were neither safe nor fair yet for a fresh vote. The MDC on Thursday called for an urgent SADC meeting to avoid “rivers of dead people”.

Regional states are concerned the instability and economic crisis in Zimbabwe could take their toll on them too. Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has brought 165,000 percent inflation, 80 percent unemployment, chronic food and fuel shortages and sent a flood of refugees to neighboring countries.

On the face of it, Tsvangirai appears to be in a strong position to win a fair vote. But the opposition, human rights groups and Western countries accuse Mugabe of launching a campaign of violence and intimidation to try to secure victory.

The opposition blames the government for attacks in which it says 40 of its members have been killed, scores have been wounded and more than 1,000 homes burnt or destroyed.

The ruling ZANU-PF denies responsibility, accusing the MDC of unleashing the violence to discredit Mugabe.

“Our fist is against white imperialism. It is a fist for the people of Zimbabwe, never a fist against them,” Mugabe told his party conference.

Analysts say that if Mugabe stays in power, Zimbabwe’s economic crisis is likely to worsen and there are few prospects of serious political change. Western sanctions have failed to weaken Mugabe and he is likely to tighten his grip on power by purging opponents within and outside his party.

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