HARARE: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said he will abide by a court ruling to hold elections by July 31 despite calls by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to allow time for key reforms before the vote, state media reported Sunday.
"We will work in accordance with that judgement (of the constitutional court)," Mugabe said in an interview with the Zimbabwe state-owned Spot FM radio in Japan on the sidelines of an international summit on African development.
"The time has come for elections to be held," the 89-year-old veteran leader was quoted as saying.
The polls will end a unity government led by Mugabe and Tsvangirai that was formed in February 2009 after violent and disputed polls the previous year.
The two have already confirmed they will run against each other in this year's polls.
Mugabe's comments came after Zimbabwe's constitutional court ruled Friday that the southern African country must hold elections by July 31.
"We must obey (the judgement). I do not want to offend against the law," Mugabe said without setting a date for the polls.
Freelance journalist Jealous Mawarire had asked the constitutional court to compel Mugabe to announce an election date before the tenure of the current parliament ends on June 29.
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