afrol News, 14 March - Zimbabwe's police chief, Augustine Chihuri, has threatened that he would resist against attempts by opposition puppets to unseat the incumbent President Robert Mugabe on 29 March combined polls.

Mr Mugabe has accused the opposition puppets of the West of undermining his government's controversial land reform. The police chief, who had benefited from the land reform programme, said the puppets will not ascend to power to reverse the process.

Mr Chihuri told Zimbabwean police officers leaving for the UN mission in Liberia "we will not allow any puppets to take charge" because "most of us in here are truly owners of the land."

"This is the sovereignty we should defend at all costs because for us to get at this point others had to lose their lives. At this point our gains should never be reversed."

The police chief said there will be no mercy on anybody - whether opposition or ruling party supporters - for causing electoral and post-electoral violence in the country.

He said they swore to be "loyal and we are highly patriotic and this must not be construed to be partisan. We will apply the rule of law without fear or favour."

This year's electoral campaign has been relatively calm and peaceful, compared to the previous years.

President Mugabe, who has been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980, is running for the sixth term in office. He is challenged by three candidates, including the Movement for Democratic Change leader, Morgan Tsvangirai and the former Finance Minister and senior officials of the ruling Zanu-PF party, Simba Makoni.

The opposition is crying foul, accusing the government of using the state machinery at its disposal - media, security forces and the electoral commission - to undermine free and fair polls process.

Zimbabwean government fell apart with western countries after it had implemented the 2003 land redistribution programme, which saw the seizure of white-owned farmers. The farms were redistributed to landless blacks.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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