The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and foreign critics led by former colonial power Britain and the United States, accuse President Robert Mugabe, 78, of trying to rig the vote to beat the biggest challenge to his 22-year rule.
At a briefing for foreign election observers and the media the Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) gave out scant information. It could not say how many ballot papers had been printed, the exact location of 4,548 polling stations or when voters lists would be made public.
Nor could ESC chairman Sobuza Gula-Ndebele, a retired army colonel, and his officials say why only 23 local observers had been accredited out of 12,000 nominees.
"I have a problem. I don't think as the supervisor of an election that is only a couple of days away you can tell people 'I don't know,"' said observer Martha Sayed of Botswana's Independent Electoral Commission.[End Excerpt]