Harare, Zimbabwe - Five petrol bombs were used Monday in inter-party political violence which has flared-up in Zimbabwe, ahead of expected elections later in the year, police said. They said the bombs, the latest to be used in a series in recent weeks, were targeted at an office building of President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, and that the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was suspected of being behind  the attack.

No one was injured or killed in the night attack in the capital Harare, but the office building and property in it were extensively damaged.

Politically-motivated violence has flared-up in the country since the beginning of the year, following an announcement by President Mugabe the nation will hold a poll by June to replace a two-year old coalition government between his party and the premier's.

The two parties were forced into a coalition deal in 2009 after a violence-marred, inconclusive election in 2008.

'Eight ZANU-PF members were sleeping at the offices at the time of the bombing, but no one was injured. We are still investigating,' police spokesman James Sabau said.

This is the second petrol bombing this month in Harare. Last week, a similar bombing extensively destroyed a market, and targeted the businesses of ZANU-PF members, according to police.

Tsvangirai opposes the poll, arguing that conditions were not ideal for free and fair elections.

He wants the coalition deal, which was brokered by regional countries, to be extended to re-write the constitution, among other things, ahead of a fresh poll.

But Mugabe, buoyed by resurgent public support for his party, has dismissed calls for a delay, and vowed to press ahead with the election even under the old constitution which the opposition say gave his party an unfair advantage.

Pana 16/02/2011