Hours after the official closing time for polling stations, Zimbabwean voters stood their ground early today, determined to cast their votes in the most dramatic election in their country’s history.

An Australian television station today accused Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader of plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe and take power in a coup.

Zimbabwe is to expand the Supreme Court to eight judges from five, a move the opposition called an effort to pack compliant judges onto a court that has often ruled against the Government.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition party claimed today their leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, was the target of a state-sponsored assassination attempt while campaigning north of Harare.