Opponents of the president say they will not participate without electoral reforms
The strains of Happy Birthday drifted from a parched soccer stadium in one of Harare's poorest suburbs as Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) celebrated its fifth anniversary.
But little more than 5,000 people gathered for the birthday rally in Highfield last week - a poor turnout in a city of 2.5 million that is supposed to be a hotbed of opposition support.
There was nervousness in the air.
Little wonder. Elections are set for early next year and everyone in Zimbabwe, most of all the opposition, knows what that means.
At least 30 people were killed in the run-up to Zimbabwe's last general elections in June 2000. Most were supporters of firebrand trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai's newly formed MDC. Despite the intimidation, the MDC won nearly half of all contested seats and there were high hopes that change was just around the corner.
But nearly five years on, Mr Tsvangirai is waiting for a verdict on a treason charge he denies, the economy is in tatters, food supplies are getting dangerously low again and President Robert Mugabe is standing firmer than ever.