Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is fighting for his political life in a power struggle within his own party, analysts said today.
They said the power struggle could oust him faster than street battles with a reinvigorated and determined political opposition.
Although hard-line elements of Mr Mugabe's secret police and militant youth militia stepped up a crackdown on government opponents, analysts said rival factions within the ruling Zanu-PF party were plotting to force the president to step down at the end of his term next year.
University of Zimbabwe political analyst John Makumbe
A key test could come as early as next week at a meeting of the ruling party Central Committee, when a faction could seek to block the president from running for another term next year.
University of Zimbabwe political analyst John Makumbe said rival factions supporting the former parliamentary speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa or Vice President Joyce Muguru, whose husband is a powerful ex-army commander, were confident they could prevent another term for Mugabe term.
"That is where the real trouble for Mugabe is. Both factions of Zanu-PF don't want him to continue. They are united on that, but they are not united on who to replace him with. That is when they take out their machetes and start cutting each other's back," Mr Makumbe said in Harare.
"For Mugabe, the end is in sight. For him to believe otherwise is naive," he added.
Christopher Dell, the US ambassador to Zimbabwe, said the ruling party was in disarray, that tremendous pressures were building within the party because of the succession battle and that growing numbers within the party wanted Mugabe to step down.
"Mugabe is a very resourceful fellow. One has to give him certain grudging admiration for his political skills, I mean he's managed to stay in power for 27 years, that's no mean feat," said Mr Dell.
AP