"We are urging our members to avoid violence," Zanu-PF's Information and Publicity Secretary, Cde Nathan Shamuyarira, told 'The Herald.'

  "We are urging our people to go and campaign peacefully. We are also urging the opposition to avoid violence and respect people's lives," he said.

  Cde Shamuyarira said calls by some western powers inciting people to resort to violence to remove the Mugabe government were "unfortunate and shameful." He said this part of deliberate attempts by some western powers to turn Southern Africa into a theatre of civil wars.

  "Our people should know that the said intervention by the British and Americans is not meant to help the ordinary Zimbabweans, but meant to further the interests of the British and Americans. They want Southern Africa to be a theatre of war and confusion so that they are able to tap into our resources."

  Cde Shamuyarira urged supporters of both Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)of Morgan Tsvangirai not to be divided by outside influence because "this is our country. This is our Zimbabwe. This is our nation. We should all respect the leadership of our country. If one party wins and another loses, it is a party for Zimbabweans. We should continue to live and work together as brothers and sisters."

  Mr Shamuyarira predicted a victory for Mr Mugabe in the election run-off. The party's low performance was attributed to a failure by most its supporters to vote thinking that Zanu-PF was not threatened.

  "We urge all our members to vote for President Mugabe - a man who has transformed this country from being a colony to an independent, sovereign and dynamic state," he said, condemning the "double standards" by the MDC.A