Zimbabwe's Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa speaks at a news conference in Pretoria, outside Johannesburg May 30, 2008. Chinamasa said the ruling ZANU-PF and opposition party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) pursued conflicting ideologies, suggesting an MDC government would try to reverse land reforms that forcibly redistributed white-owned farms among blacks. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    HARARE, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe ruling Zano-PF has said it would however not treat seriously threats by the opposition MDC to boycott the elections until the MDC had notified the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on its position, the state media New Ziana reported on Monday.

    Zano-PF said on Sunday the opposition Movement for Democratic Change had pulled out of Friday's presidential run-off to avoid a humiliating defeat.

Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai addresses the media in Harare June 22, 2008. Tsvangirai pulled out of a run-off election against President Robert Mugabe on Sunday, saying a free and fair poll was impossible in the current climate of violence.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Information and publicity sub-committee chairman Patrick Chinamasa told a press conference the electorate had also now realized that the MDC had nothing much to offer the people as it was a Western sponsored party that wanted to reserve the gains of independence.

    He said Zanu-PF would in the meantime continue its election campaigns to ensure that it romped to victory in this week's crucial run-off."

President Robert Mugabe addresses to supporters during an election rally at the White City Stadium in Bulawayo June 20, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    This should be the eleventh time and so that the MDC has threatened to withdrawal from participating in the elections," Chinamasa said, adding the opposition had on all occasions failed to notify ZEC."

    Therefore, Zanu-PF does not treat threats by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai seriously," he added.

    "The party is proceeding with its campaigns in order to romp to victory on 27 June," he said.

    MDC leader Tsvangirai on Sunday announced that the opposition was pulling out of Friday's run-off, saying that he was pulling out because of widespread violence against its supporters.

    However Chinamasa said the MDC was the main perpetrator of violence. "Tsvangirai's claims are not true," he said. "in fact his party is the main culprit of the violence."

    "The truth is that he is now aware that he is not going to win the run-off but face a humiliating defeat on June 27," he added.

    Chinamasa said the MDC lost the plot when its leadership led by Tsvangirai deserted its supporters and went globe-trotting after the 29 March harmonized elections.

    Zanu-PF, he said, in the meantime took advantage of the situation to woo more supporters turning the tables on the opposition.

    "The MDC thought this (election) was just a race, which they could easily win, but it has now turned into a marathon that they cannot withstand," Chinamasa said.

    "So we urge all our supporters to remain on their campaign trails until the last minute," he added.

    He said he even doubted if the run-off would be called off as preparations for the poll were already at an advanced stage. "All the necessary materials such as the ballot papers, ink and pollingofficers have been sent to various stations ahead of the run-off,"he said.

    "Therefore, I doubt if Friday's run-off is now unavoidable," he said, adding clarity on the matter would be better answered by ZEC.

    Chinamasa said the MDC was trying to get international attention from Europe and America over the Zimbabwean issue. Europe, he said, was currently meeting to review its sanctions on the country and Tsvangirai wanted to put more pressure on the blocto tighten its screws on Zimbabwe.

    Chinamasa said the threat by the MDC was also aimed at drawingattention from America, which would in the next few days relinquish its UN security powers to force an invasion of the country.

    "The situation in Zimbabwe does not warrant any outside interference," he said. "The police are in full control of the situation."

    Meanwhile, Zanu-PF has refuted claims that it blocked an MDCrally in Harare on Sunday. Chinamasa said the party would not stoop so low and expose its supporters to the wrath of MDC hooligans.

    "It's a fact that Harare is stronghold of the MDC," he said. "We are not so foolish and reckless to expose our few cadres to MDC hooligans."

    He said the rally, which was supposed to be addressed by Tsvangirai failed to kick off because few people had attended the rally and not that Zanu-PF blocked it.

    He said the opposition was running scared as evident by its poor campaign strategy. "The MDC has been doing nothing, absolutely nothing. There have not even put posters except those that they used during the March polls," he added.

    Chinamasa also blamed the MDC for the sudden wave of violence, saying the opposition had stole some Zanu-PF campaign materials such as T-shirts and used it to commit violence in the name of the ruling party. 

An election observer watches as supporters of ruling ZANU-PF party gather around the Show Grounds, the venue for the opposition Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) election rally which was due to take place in Harare June 22, 2008. The MDC reported its rally had been broken up by pro-Mugabe youth militia and their leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on the United Nations and the African Union to intervene to stop "genocide" in the former British colony. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>