Zimbabwe President Mr Robert Mugabe has tightened his grip on his ruling ZANU-PF a year before the deadline for presidential elections. But political analysts say he has yet to decide whether to run again for office.
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Mr Mugabe is tightening his grip on the ZANU-PF
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Mr Mugabe has dissolved all his ZANU-PF party's provincial executive committees in the past five weeks and has started to re-build them with hand-picked loyalists.
Those who have dared to criticise his stewardship as Zimbabwe falls deeper into recession and political chaos have been replaced by loyal war veterans and former state security officers to lead ZANU-PF's campaign for presidential elections.
Mr Mugabe (77) told ZANU-PF's policy-making central committee last weekend the restructuring was part of a war for the party's survival.
"It is important for all of us to see the restructuring process positively as an inescapable task of survival, self-renewal and growth. Everything we do now must be directed . . . towards that critical election, which we must win in order to consolidate the gains of our struggle," said Mr Mugabe.
Political analysts said Mr Mugabe had strengthened his hold on his fractious party but might not contest next year's poll.
"His position has always been to leave the options open," said political analyst Mr Emmanuel Magade, a University of Zimbabwe law lecturer.
"If he decides to run he can run because he has control of the party. If he decides not to run he wants to have a big say in who gets the party ticket," Mr Magade said.