Zimbabwe leaders disagree on election date

HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 21 (UPI) -- Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says he is pushing for national elections to be held in March 2013.

The Movement for Democratic Change leader told The Financial Gazette although the process of writing a new constitution is still under way, elections will be possible less than a year from now.

"It's just not possible to hold elections this year, there is no constitution and no referendum has been held," he said. "Elections will be held at the outer limit, that is in March 2013 when the current term of the lawmakers would have constitutionally expired."

However, President Robert Mugabe called for "violence-free" elections before the year is out. Although Mugabe's ruling party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, passed a resolution in December calling for elections to be held in 2012, Tsvangirai stressed the country is not ready yet.

Although he said the constitution is coming along, he told the Gazette, "There is still a lot of work to be done and we need to flatten the political space that at present is dominated by ZANU-PF."