Harare/Johannesburg - Zimbabwe's violence-wracked run-off presidential election will go ahead on Friday despite the withdrawal of the leading candidate, Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai, state radio said Monday.

It quoted George Chiweshe, chairman of the state-run Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, as saying that the organisation was "going ahead with preparations for the election ... as Tsvangirai has not made any of the required notification" of his withdrawal.

It also quoted Patrick Chinamasa, spokesman for President Robert Mugabe's ZANU(PF) party as saying that "ZANU(PF) will continue with its campaign to the last moment until it romps home to victory."

On Sunday Tsvangirai announced he was pulling out of "this violent, illegitimate sham of an election" because of the campaign of violent intimidation of the opposition MDC, the "decimation" of its structures, the "elaborate plan of rigging" by Mugabe's administration and Mugabe's repeatedly stated avowal that he would disregard an electoral victory for the MDC leader and would "got go to war" if he (Mugabe) lost.

"The conditions as of today do not allow the holding of a credible election," he said. "We cannot ask them (MDC supporters) to vote for us on June 27 when it may cost them their lives."

Independently compiled medical records show that 85 people have been murdered and at least 3,000 have had to be treated in hospital for injuries caused by assaults since the violence began two days after the first round of voting on March 29, while Tsvangirai says 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes.

"This was never going to be an election," said Zimbabwean political commentator Brian Raftopoulos. "We all knew Mugabe wasn't going to allow it to take place, that he wasn't going to allow anyone to beat him."

The announcement of the withdrawal came after a planned major rally for Tsvangirai was prevented when thousands of ZANU(PF) youth militia armed with sticks occupied the rally site.

Medical sources said hospitals continued to receive victims of assault through the night as violent mobs in Mugabe T-shirts continued to harass and assault people in Harare's poor townships and in the city centre.

On Saturday, the 84-year-old dictator declared: "Only God can remove me." (dpa)