Zimbabweans vote on July 31, 2013 with President Robert Mugabe, 89, facing four challengers.

Over six million Zimbabweans go to the poll on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 to elect the next Parliament, Senate and President under a new Constitution adopted by referendum this year.  Under the new consensus law, the President is limited to two five-year terms.

Contestants  

Five candidates are running for the office of President, with three of them contesting for the first time. They are President Robert Mugabe of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, ZANU-PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai, MDC-T opposition faction and Prof. Welshman Ncube of the Movement for Democratic Change-Mutambara, MDC-M party. Others are Dumiso Dabengwa of the splinter Zimbabwe African People’s Union, ZAPU and Kisinot Mukwazhe of the Zimbabwe Development Party, ZDP. Mugabe and Tsvangirai are clearly the frontrunners, with the other three candidates standing very little chance of winning.

Robert Gabriel Mugabe

Robert Mugabe, 89, is a former liberation war guerilla leader who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980. He has been in an inclusive government with political rivals Tsvangirai and Deputy PM Arthur Mutambara who was replaced by Welshman Ncube in 2009. Mugabe served as PM from 1980 to 1987 when he became the first executive Head of State. In 1987, ZANU merged with Joshua Nkomo’s Zimbabwe African People’s Union, ZAPU to form ZANU-Patriotic Front. Mugabe has expressed frustration with bickering in the coalition government and is seeking an outright win to end it. His critics blame him for turning the once prosperous nation into a basket case, but his admirers laud him for his principled stance in defending national sovereignty and championing empowerment of the black majority.

Robert Mugabe stands better chances of winning the poll given his experience and political savvy. The coalition government has also succeeded in restoring the economy, peace and stability. Mugabe has a formidable record of gamesmanship and has repeatedly proved that he can outwit, outplay and outlast any opponent - foreign or domestic. Moreover, the opposition is divided and there is general public dismay with Morgan Tsvangirai’s new lavish lifestyle.

Morgan Tsvangirai

A former trade unionist who rose to fame by becoming one of the fiercest opponents of Mugabe's rule, Morgan Tsvangirai, 61, is reputed for his courage and determination to usher in democratic change in Zimbabwe. The leader of the larger MDC-T faction has never relented in his 15-year political career to unseat Mugabe and ZANU-PF from power. He contested the 2002 presidential election, but lost. In 2008, Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the first round of the presidential poll, but his votes were not enough to be declared outright winner. Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off election - alleging widespread violence against his supporters - leaving Mugabe to win. In 2009, Tsvangirai joined Mugabe in an inclusive government where he is still Prime Minister. His critics accuse him of being a stooge of the West, unintelligent and a man of questionable sexual morality.

Prof. Welshman Ncube

Welshman Ncube is leader of the smaller MDC-M faction, having assumed the position in 2011 after the ouster of Mutambara. An advocate and law professor, the 51-year-old is a campaigner for devolution of power. He has often criticised the current system of centralised government, accusing it of underdevelopment in is home area of Matabeleland region. He is taking aim at the presidency for the first time.

Dumiso Dabengwa

A former ally of Mugabe who once served as Home Affairs Minister, Dumiso Dabengwa, 71, is now a sworn enemy of Mugabe after he broke ranks with ZANU-PF in 2008. He supported the opposition candidacy of Simba Makoni in the March 2008 presidential election in which Makoni got only 8 per cent of the vote. Dabengwa later founded the splinter Zimbabwe African People’s Union, ZAPU, the liberation party that merged with ZANU in 1987 to form the current ZANU-PF. Like Prof. Ncube, he is also contesting in the presidential election for the first time.

Kisinot Mukwazhe

The youngest of the five presidential aspirants, Kisinot Mukwazhe, 43, is a former member of ZANU-PF. He founded the Zimbabwe Development Party, ZDP that contested 13 parliamentary seats in the 2008 elections, but lost all. It is Mukwazhe's first time to contest the presidential poll. The businessman promises to revamp the economy, wipe out corruption in government and restore Zimbabwe's relations with the international community if he wins.