(Recasts after end of vote, adds African observers) By MacDonald Dzirutwe HARARE, March 29 (Reuters) - Zimbabweans, many desperate for an end to their economic misery, voted on Saturday in the most crucial election since independence in 1980, but the opposition accused President Robert Mugabe's government of rigging. African observers also said they had discovered fraudulent voters rolls listing apparently non-existent people. Voting was heavy in the early morning, both in opposition strongholds like the capital Harare, and in Mugabe's rural base, but it subsided later and polling stations closed on time at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). Results are not expected for several days from the presidential, parliamentary and local polls. With the once-prosperous country's economy in freefall and a two-pronged assault by veteran opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and ruling ZANU-PF defector Simba Makoni, Mugabe faces the most formidable challenge of his 28-year rule. But the opposition charged fraud and analysts believe Mugabe, 84, is likely to be declared the winner. The local election observer group ZESN said turnout looked low and some voters were turned away in opposition strongholds. A local journalist who asked not to be named said thousands of voters had turned out in Mugabe's southern stronghold of Masvingo province. He said village heads appeared to have instructed them to vote for the president. Tsvangirai's MDC party said voting ink could be removed from ballots with detergent. Combined with a bloated voter roll and the printing of 3 million extra ballot papers this "ensures that there will be multiple voting" said Tendai Biti a senior MDC official. Biti also said opposition supporters were turned away by polling officials for not being on the electoral roll and MDC voting agents were chased off from some polling stations. OBSERVERS BANNED A monitoring group from the Pan-African parliament said it found that more than one third of the 24,000 registered voters in one Harare constituency appeared to come from a deserted block "with a few scattered wooden sheds". But most international observers were banned and a team from the regional grouping SADC did not comment on Saturday. Critics say SADC, which has tried to mediate an end to Zimbabwe's crisis, is too soft on Mugabe. Election officials were not immediately available to comment on the reports of irregularities. Zimbabwe is suffering the world's highest inflation rate at more than 100,000 percent, chronic shortages of food and fuel and a rampant HIV/AIDS epidemic that has contributed to a steep decline in life expectancy. Mugabe blames the collapse on Western sanctions. Many voters told Reuters they wanted a new government. "I am voting for change. I am praying for a free and fair election. It is the only way this country can move forward," said Richard Mutedzi, 25, a mechanic who voted in Chitungwiza, 30 km (20 miles) south of Harare. Mugabe oozed his usual confidence when he voted in Harare. We will succeed. We will conquer," he said. "Why should I cheat? The people are there supporting us. The moment the people stop supporting you, then that's the moment you should quit politics," Mugabe told reporters. Despite the fraud allegations, Tsvangirai said he would win. "We are absolutely confident that the outcome will be in the favour of the people," he said as he voted in Harare. Some people slept at polling stations and queues formed before they opened. Mother of three Gertrude Muzanenhamo, 36, voted early in the poor township of Warren Park, telling reporters: "People are dying in hospitals and funeral expenses are very high. How do you expect us to survive? Shop shelves are empty." Sagodolu Sikhosana, a villager in the opposition stronghold of Matabeleland said after voting: "Things have been too hard for too long. I think now there needs to be a change and they need to take us more seriously." Analysts say Mugabe has maintained a tight grip on power through a combination of ruthless security crackdowns, intimidation of ruling party rivals and elaborate patronage. Voting was largely peaceful but police said a bomb exploded in the house of a ruling party candidate in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo, an opposition stronghold. No-one was hurt. Mugabe's rivals believe they can finally end his iron rule because of the economic meltdown that has reduced even his traditional and favoured rural strongholds to misery. But the powerful security forces have thrown their backing behind Mugabe, stoking accusations that he will use his incumbent power to rig victory. Voters on Saturday said police and army units backed by armoured vehicles and water cannons had patrolled overnight. "That is intimidation but we will not be cowed," said Samuel Furutsa in the Harare township of Mufakose. Some security chiefs say they will not accept a Tsvangirai victory but he said they must be bound by the constitution. "I am not seeking the security chiefs mandate but the people's mandate," he told reporters as he voted. If no candidate wins more than 51 percent of the vote on Saturday, the election will go into a second round, when the two opposition parties would likely unite. (Additional reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Nelson Banya, and Muchena Zigomo) (Writing by Barry Moody; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
Ruling ZANU P.F. parliamentary candidate Judith Mkwanda stands in front of her house, which was bombed by unknown people on the eve of the elections, in Zimbabwe's second largest city of ...
