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| Ex-ally to fight Mugabe in poll | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A senior member of Zimbabwe's ruling party has said he will challenge President Robert Mugabe in 29 March polls as an independent candidate. | A senior member of Zimbabwe's ruling party has said he will challenge President Robert Mugabe in 29 March polls as an independent candidate. |
| "I offer myself as candidate for the office of president," former finance minister Simba Makoni told reporters. | "I offer myself as candidate for the office of president," former finance minister Simba Makoni told reporters. |
| He is seen as coming from the moderate wing of the Zanu-PF but does not have a strong grass-roots support base. | |
| The two opposition Movement for Democratic Change factions are each fielding candidates in the election. | The two opposition Movement for Democratic Change factions are each fielding candidates in the election. |
| In its December congress, Zanu-PF endorsed Mr Mugabe as its presidential candidate in the 29 March election, despite speculation that he would face a challenge from within his party. | |
| PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES Robert Mugabe, Zanu-PFMorgan Tsvangirai, MDCArthur Mutambara, MDCSimba Makoni, Independent | |
| Other senior party officials than Mr Makoni had been seen as Mr Mugabe's most likely challengers, but none of them has challenged Zimbabwe's long-time leader in public. | |
| Mr Makoni has been mentioned as a possible compromise candidate between different Zanu-PF factions and even the opposition for many years. | |
| After being sacked as finance minister in 2002, he moved to South Africa. | |
| The MDC had insisted on a new constitution before the elections, as well as guarantees they would be free and fair. | |
| Previous polls have been characterised by violence and allegations of fraud. | |
| Zimbabwe has the world's highest annual rate of inflation - 26,000% - and only an estimated one adult in five has a job. | |
| Mr Mugabe's critics blame the economic crisis on his policies, especially the seizure of white-owned farms. | |
| He blames a western plot to bring him down. |