ZIMBABWE:Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe marked his 83rd birthday yesterday with a fresh clampdown on political dissent and another pledge to resist any handover of power.
The veteran ruler, who will have a lavish party thrown in his honour at the weekend, told national television there was "no vacancy" in the presidency and restated his intention to extend his 27-year rule.
In a sign of growing tensions in the Southern African state, state media yesterday also announced a three-month ban on political rallies in parts of the capital, Harare.
This follows violent clashes in the Highfield township at the weekend between police and supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Police published notices yesterday saying there had been "pandemonium, looting and destruction of property" following the opposition protests. Forty demonstrators were arrested and face charges of public violence.
The Movement for Democratic Change has accused the police of brutality, saying the clashes showed a growing mood of defiance against Mr Mugabe.
In a rare admission, the president said figures within the ruling Zanu-PF party were also campaigning against him. Mr Mugabe stressed, however, he would refuse to cede power to "corrupt" or opportunist ministers.
"Even where they are not thinking of themselves being president, they are thinking in terms of where they will be and whom they should support and those who think they are most immediate are resorting to all kinds of frauds," Mr Mugabe said on state television and radio.
There were unconfirmed reports yesterday that in a longer unedited version of the interview, Mr Mugabe criticised his vice-president Joyce Mujuru, while anointing rural housing minister Emmerson Mnangagwa as his preferred successor.
Despite Zimbabwe's failing economy and an estimated 1,600 per cent inflation rate, political allies of the president are planning an expensive birthday party for the former freedom fighter in the town of Gweru on Saturday.
Zanu-PF has reportedly been deducting money from civil servants' salaries and bullying hard-pressed businesses into making donations, to cover the expected Zim $300 million (€1 million) bill.
Coincidentally, Mr Mugabe is due to receive the credentials of the new Irish ambassador to Zimbabwe Colin Wrafter in Harare tomorrow.
It is expected the Zimbabwean president will use the occasion to criticise Ireland's decision to support a year-long extension of EU sanctions against his country.
European ministers voted on Monday to extend an existing arms embargo and a travel ban and asset freezes on Mr Mugabe and more than 100 ruling party officials.
The Zimbabwean government claimed the weekend protests had been designed to embarrass the country ahead of the vote in Brussels. However opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said the demonstration was simply aimed at launching his bid for the presidency.
He added: "Mugabe is now heavily dependent on a rogue militia and partisan paramilitary forces in his war against the people."
Mr Mugabe, in power since independence from British rule in 1980, some years ago signalled that he would step down when his current term elapsed in 2008 but he has since sought a two-year extension in order to have presidential and parliamentary polls at the same time in 2010.