Politicians from both wings of the movement said on Sunday that two days of talks had failed to reach agreement on a single candidate for the leadership of the southern African country, which is in the grip of severe economic crisis.

The movement split in 2005 and had been trying to agree on a pact to unite behind main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to challenge Mugabe, who turns 84 later this month.

But the smaller MDC group of academic Arthur Mutambara said talks had broken down and it would go it alone, fielding candidates in the presidential, parliamentary and council elections.

Mutambara accused Tsvangirai's group of making unreasonable demands and failing to sign an agreed unity pact.

"In the absence of an agreement, we have no choice as a political party but to go right ahead and provide leadership in this country," he told reporters.

The MDC had earlier said it could boycott the March 29 polls if Mugabe's government refused to adopt a new draft constitution agreed between the two sides. The charter has not been adopted.

Tsvangirai said talks between the two camps had collapsed over the differences about how many candidates to field in the Matabeleland province -- an MDC stronghold.

"The National Council (MDC's main decision making body) disagreed on the selection of candidates, causing a delay of a single MDC taking shape," Tsvangirai told a briefing.

"I need not to justify what was the cause of the dispute when we were so near to an agreement, save only to say we had requested that in Matabeleland we have a 50/50 split of candidates."

CONSTITUTION

Tsvangirai said a new constitution was his party's main hope of achieving a fair election and, without one, the result was bound to be disputed as had happened in the past.

"What this deadlock (over the constitution) means is that we are going into an election in March whose outcome is likely to be contested," he said.

"The people know that they won the last three elections and that they will win the next election, but let Mugabe steal (it) and see whether he can resolve the national crisis."

Tsvangirai, who has accused Mugabe of rigging past elections, would not comment on what action the MDC might take should it lose.

Analysts say a divided opposition stands little chance of defeating Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 and is accused by critics of plunging the country into crisis.

"A single candidate philosophy would have made it easier to deliver victory," said Mutambara.

Mugabe has vowed to clinch a landslide victory in next month's elections to silence the opposition and shame Western foes he says are sponsoring his rivals to remove him from power.

Critics say the veteran leader has ruined Zimbabwe through controversial policies such as the seizure of white-owned farms for blacks and lately plans to localise foreign-owned companies, including banks and mines.

Mugabe denies charges he has wrecked a once promising economy and blames former colonial ruler Britain for leading a Western onslaught against his government as punishment for the land seizures.