Mugabe will address supporters at a rally in Chitungwiza as he continues to campaign [EPA]

A lawyer for Tendai Biti, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) secretary-general, said he would be freed on Thursday, as the country's prepares for a controversial presidential run-off vote.

"We have been granted bail by the high court and ordered to surrender one trillion Zimbabwean dollars [$90] with the clerk of courts as part of the bail conditions," Lewis Uriri said.

"We've also been asked to surrender title deeds to his house and  that he should report once a week to the police."

Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader who pulled out of the vote earlier in the week, on Wednesday said that he was prepared to negotiate with the government of Robert Mugabe, the president, but that Biti's release would have to come before he any talks.

'Illegitimate election'

Tsvangirai's withdrawal has been followed by international calls for the 84-year-old president not to go ahead with the election unopposed.

Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, warned Mugabe that were he to declare himself the victor on Friday the result would be seen as "illegitimate".

"Clearly, no run-off election that doesn't have the participation of opposition ... can be considered legitimate, no outcome can be considered legitimate," she said during a visit to Japan.

Leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), said that the election should be delayed while Mugabe's government and the MDC hold talks.

"The political situation appears not to be permissive for holding the run-off elections in a manner that will be free and fair," Tomaz Augusto Salomao, chief of the 14-nation SADC, said on Wednesday.

South Africa said that a senior negotiator was in the Zimbabwean capital Harare discussing a range of option including a postponement of the vote.

'Tragic failure'

Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, on Thursday expressed concern over the Zimbabwean crisis and criticised what he said was a "tragic failure of leadership" in Zimbabwe.

"We look back at much human progress, but we sadly note so much failing as well," he said on a visit to the British capital London.

The MDC says that at least 80 of its supporters have been killed by Zanu-PF loyalists and another 200,000 people have been displaced in what it calls Mugabe's "campaign of intimidation" to deter people from voting.

Mugabe supporters have denied the allegations.

Hundreds of opposition supporters have taken shelter in the South African embassy in Harare saying that they fear attacks by Zanu-PF loyalists.

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