Mugabe to run again for president

Mugabe says he is the only man from his ZANU-PF party capable of winning

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Robert Mugabe is to stand again in presidential elections despite widespread criticism of his farm seizure policy.

Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe for more than 20 years since independence from Britain in 1980, said he was his party's best hope.

It is the first time the 77-year-old has spoken publicly about his intention to run in presidential elections planned for next year, ending weeks of speculation.

Mugabe said he would not stand down until a strong successor to the leadership of the ruling ZANU-PF party is in place.

But he has reduced the likelihood of this happening after dissolving the party's provincial executive committees and installing hand-picked loyalists during the past two months.

"Yes of course I am going to stand. I would like to see my party -- which shall win -- win," Mugabe told Zimbabwean state television.

Mugabe is facing intense domestic and international criticism for a controversial land-grab programme and a crumbling economy and has lost valuable global financial aid.

"All this noise about Mugabe and so on is fear of the old man," he added.

"So the old man must see the party win and we will take our decision thereafter."

Mugabe had been publicly silent on his political future, raising speculation that the veteran south African leader might choose a successor to lead ZANU-PF into next year's election.

But Mugabe said on Tuesday that he would not retire until he was sure ZANU-PF could survive without him or his two vice-presidents, Joseph Msika and Simon Muzenda.

"I can't go to rest and actually have peace of mind if my party is going to lose elections. The prospect of winning must be there," Mugabe said.

"As soon as our party is in a position to (assure) the nation that it is viable and is going to be strong in the future -- even without me or without Msika or without Muzenda -- we will retire. But the time hasn't come," he added.

'A white does not change'

Mugabe has attempted to restrict criticism by appointing his loyal war veterans and former state security officers to lead ZANU-PF's presidential campaign.

Mugabe, who led a seven-year bush war for independence against Ian Smith's Rhodesia in the 1970s, accused the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of being a front for whites bent on retaining economic power.

"We cannot allow Ian Smith to rule again. A white does not change and as long as he does not change why should we," Mugabe said.

The MDC won nearly half of 120 contested seats in the June poll and says it would have beaten ZANU-PF but for a violent campaign that left at least 31 mainly opposition supporters dead.

Mugabe said he would not abandon his farm seizure programme that has already seen hundreds of white-owned farms taken for redistribution to landless blacks, despite widespread international outrage.

"The programme is meant to benefit our people ... and that is what is important to us," he said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have suspended aid to Harare over the land policy and Zimbabwe's costly involvement in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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