Associated Press

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe insisted on Tuesday that new elections be held this year with or without a new constitution agreed to in his power-sharing deal with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

“Yes, sure, this year,” Mugabe said in an interview on state television on the eve of his 88 birthday on Tuesday, responding to a question on when new elections were likely.

“We just must have elections. They just must take place with or without a new constitution. If others don't want to have an election then they are free not to participate,” he added.

“Nobody is forced to go to an election but definitely I will exercise my presidential powers in accordance with the main principal law, the constitution of our country, and announce when the election will take place.”

Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, was chosen in December by his ZANU-PF party to stand again as its presidential candidate.

He said in the interview he has no plans to retire anytime soon. “It's the people who can find a successor,” he said.

“I came from the people and the people, in their wisdom, our members of the party, will certainly select someone once I say I am now retiring, but not yet. At this age I can still go some distance, can't I?”

Mugabe formed a power-sharing government with Tsvangirai in 2009 to mend an inflation-ravaged economy and avoid a political melt-down after a bloody presidential run-off election.

The two rivals agreed to a raft of reforms including amending electoral and media laws and drafting a new constitution to pave the way to fresh polls.

But work on the new charter has run in fits and starts, hindered by attacks on public outreach meetings by supporters of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Mugabe denied reports of clashes with Tsvangirai and said the two enjoyed cordial relations.

“I read of the clashes in the papers,” he said in the interview on Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC-TV).

“In the Standard (a privately owned newspaper) and what are the others? Little papers. Dustbin things. This is where the fights are and I wonder where they get the information from.

“We were very suspicious of each other at the beginning but as time went on, we got to know each other. Now Tsvangirai can drink a cup of tea which I make and I have no objections drinking a cup of tea which he makes.”

Mugabe has repeatedly pushed for new elections this year, but the constitution-drafting commission says a referendum on the charter could not be held before August, meaning elections under the new constitution would not likely be possible until next year. - AFP