Tell generals to accept an MDC-T victory, Tsvangirai tells Mugabe

Movement for Democratic Change leader Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai pressed President Robert Mugabe this week to impress on the country's army generals to accept an MDC-T victory in the forthcoming polls to avoid a possible bloodbath.

The country's generals have been extensively quoted in various media outlets vowing they would not respect the will of the people if Prime Minister Tsvangirai romped to victory in fresh polls President Mugabe wants held this year.

Mugabe is the commander-in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and Tsvangirai thinks he can manage to clip the general's wings.

During a principals meeting held on Monday, Tsvangirai told Mugabe that holding an election with the military threatening to seize power would be a treasonous act that would destabilise the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara is in agreement with the premier that the generals must be confined to the barracks, according to sources.

But there was however, no consensus on the issue as President Mugabe argued strongly that security sector reforms were not necessary. His party, Zanu-PF has also refused to embrace security sector reforms, claiming this was tantamount to allowing regime change to take effect.