Zimbabwe PM: Mugabe will accept election result

Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says long-time ruler Robert Mugabe is ready to give up power if he loses the next election.

Tsvangirai made the comments Wednesday in New Zealand, part of a tour to ask numerous countries to end limited sanctions against Zimbabwe. He said he's confident free elections will be held within 12 months, after a new constitution was drafted Friday.

Tsvagirai said Mugabe "will accept the result," noting he didn't "see any reason why he should plunge the country again into another dispute."

He said Mugabe is "committed for his own legacy and for the legacy of the country to move forward in a stable way."

Tsvangirai competed against Mugabe in a disputed 2008 election that sparked violence before the pair agreed to a power-sharing arrangement.