Zimbabwean president hints at early elections

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
President Robert Mugabe says his party should be preparing for early elections - and he wants no repeat of his March loss. Mugabe spoke Saturday at the close of his ZANU-PF party's two-day conference. He told about 5,000 party loyalists new elections would be held if a power-sharing plan collapsed. The unity government agreement Mugabe signed in September with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has stalled. Mugabe came in second to Tsvangirai in a March election. Official results did not give Tsvangirai enough votes to avoid a run-off. Tsvangirai pulled out of the June run-off because of state-sponsored violence against his supporters. Mugabe told supporters Saturday they should mobilize to avoid a repeat of the March defeat.