Zimbabwe's presidential showdown set for June 27

Opposition supporters have been beaten, killed and driven from their homes in a recent campaign of terror that observers say is meant to secure Mugabe's lock on power.

Tsvangirai had insisted Thursday that the runoff be held next week, amid fears further delay would mean even more violence, but he said after the election commission's announcement that he planned to compete in the ballot.

Tsvangirai, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an international liberal party conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland, said setting the June date was illegal, but "we will contest."

The opposition leader has claimed he won the March 29 presidential election outright, although independent monitors disagreed. Official results released May 2 gave Tsvangirai the most votes, but not the majority needed to avoid a second round against Mugabe.

In parliamentary elections held with the presidential ballot, the opposition won a majority of the seats, ending the ruling party's long control of the assembly.

Mugabe expressed determination Friday, telling supporters at the headquarters of his ZANU-PF party that while he will one day "be succeeded," it will not be by an opposition that he accuses of being prepared to lead the country back to colonial rule.

He also said the March 29 balloting "was indeed disastrous" for his party.

Mugabe has ruled since independence from Britain in 1980 and once was hailed for promoting racial reconciliation and bringing education and health care to the black majority. But in recent years he has been accused of becoming authoritarian and pursuing policies that wrecked a farm-based economy that had been the thriving breadbasket of southern Africa.

Tsvangirai's party planned a parliamentary caucus Saturday and a campaign rally Sunday. Party officials have indicated that Tsvangirai, who has been out of the country since shortly after the first round of voting, would be back in Zimbabwe for those events.