Zimbabwe said is to hold a presidential election run-off on June 27 in which the opposition hopes to oust veteran leader Robert Mugabe after almost 30 years in power.
The long-awaited second round follows a disputed March 29 election in which official results showed opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mugabe, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.
Zimbabweans are hoping the vote will help end political and economic turmoil and put their country on the road to recovery. But analysts warned there was no quick fix after years of decay and the widespread violence that followed the March vote.
"A poll shall be taken on Friday the 27th June, 2008, for the purpose of electing a person to the office of president," a notice in a government gazette said.
Former guerrilla leader Mugabe, 84, has previously said he would participate in the run-off.
Tsvangirai, who has been abroad since shortly after the March election to garner support, said today he would take part as well. He said he planned to return home for the first time since April 8 later in the day.
"We will participate in the run-off but ... violence has to cease for an election to be conducted or that election will not be legitimate," he told reporters at a conference in Belfast.
Noel Kututwa, chairman of independent election observer group the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said the southern African nation was not ready for another ballot unless all violence and what he called harassment of voters stops.