DATE=04/12/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT CQ

TITLE=ZIMBABWE/POLITICS (L-Only)

NUMBER=2-288641

BYLINE=PETA THORNYCROFT

DATELINE=HARARE

INTERNET=

VOICED AT:

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INTRO: Zimbabwe¹s opposition Movement for Democratic Change, or M-D-C, filed papers in the Harare High Court Friday seeking annulment of last month's presidential elections. Peta Thornycroft reports from Harare that the legal challenge comes at a time of food shortages and heightened political violence in Zimbabwe.

TEXT: President Robert Mugabe was declared the winner after chaotic and sometimes violent elections, held March 9th-to-11th, over M-D-C candidate Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mr. Tsvangirai and his M-D-C have called the election results "illegitimate," and said the poll should be re-run under international supervision.

M-D-C justice spokesman David Coltart said the court papers filed Friday contained evidence of 38 cases of election fraud, but he said it could be several months before the challenge to the presidential elections was heard in court.

Many legal observers say the seats on both higher courts have been filled with judges loyal to Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-P-F party.

Mr. Coltart said the court challenge was meant to compliment a week of talks scheduled for next month between M-D-C and the ZANU-P-F, mediated by Nigeria and South Africa.

Ahead of the mediated talks, there has been an escalation of evictions from white-owned farms. More than 60 white farmers and about five-thousand worker families were evicted from their homes this week by Mr. Mugabe¹s supporters, who said all farms now belonged to them.

Agriculture Minister Joseph Made said land reform was a revolution, and "sacrifices had to be made." He said farmers who did not cooperate should leave their land and Zimbabwe.

Mr. David Hasluck, director of the Commercial Farmers¹ Union, said it was illegal for farmers and their workers to be evicted, and this was an organized process condoned by the authorities.

The growing paralysis of most of the commercial farming sector caused the disappearance of the staple food, maize meal, three months ago. Mr. Hasluck predicted Zimbabweans would also run out of bread in 10 weeks, when present stocks of wheat run out. (Signed)

NEB/PT/TW