HARARE, Zimbabwe — The ruling party in Zimbabwe yesterday expelled a former loyalist who is now trying to unseat President Mugabe in March elections, state radio reported.

Simba Makoni, who announced his candidacy earlier this month, was fired as finance minister in 2002 in a disagreement with Mr. Mugabe over monetary policies. Opponents blame Mr. Mugabe for an economic meltdown that has left Zimbabwe with the world’s highest official inflation of 26,470% and acute shortages of gasoline, hard currency, food, and most basic goods.

In December, the ZANU-PF convention chose Mr. Mugabe as its sole presidential candidate. The party’s constitution imposed the automatic expulsion of members who defied the selection, ruling party information secretary Nathan Shamuyarira said.

Mr. Makoni, 57, was expected to release his election manifesto as an independent presidential candidate later today.

Mr. Makoni says he decided to run after discussions with members of the ruling ZANU-PF and activists outside the party. He says he already has attracted some support from the divided opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Mr. Mugabe, who has been in power since the end of British colonial rule in 1980, said he was ready to campaign against Mr. Makoni and the Movement for Democratic Change.

“I am very raring to go and raring to fly,” the state Herald newspaper quoted Mr. Mugabe, 83, as saying.

On Monday, a human rights body said conditions for free elections were not in place just seven weeks before national polling.

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace said voter registration procedures did not allow for full participation of all citizens and voter education programs were inadequate.

It also said the boundaries of new voting districts were not clearly publicized and despite some reforms, existing press and security laws “continue to be an obstacle to the freedoms required for the preparation and conduct of a free and fair election.”

In other news from Africa, peace talks to end post-election bloodshed in Kenya moved to a secret location yesterday for a final push. Negotiators said the opposition has proposed sharing power with the government for two years and then holding new elections.

Progress at the talks has given a sense of hope to many Kenyans, who have seen more than 1,000 people die and some 600,000 flee their homes in violence that followed the December 27 election. Much of the upheaval has pitted ethnic groups linked to politicians against one another.

Negotiators have talked to the press nearly every day — and, on at least one occasion, said a deal had been struck when it hadn’t. Trying to get them to focus on the task at hand, a former U.N. chief, Kofi Annan, declared a news blackout and moved the talks to a secret location outside Nairobi, his office said in a statement.

Mr. Annan, who is mediating the talks, “urged the parties not to discuss issues under negotiations with anyone outside the negotiating room,” the statement said.

Before heading into the sequestered talks, both sides offered a glimpse of what is on the table.

The opposition proposal includes “forming a broad-based government that lasts for two years,” William Ruto, an opposition lawmaker, said.

He said that during the two years of power sharing, the government should change the constitution and come up with a plan to rebuild areas devastated by violence. He also suggested a truth and justice commission to look into land disputes.

Government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo confirmed that the president’s party had received the proposal and would debate it “to see if we can reach an agreement.” He told the Associated Press the constitution gives the president the power to appoint opposition members to his Cabinet.

The opposition charges that President Kibaki stole the election. The government insists the vote was free and fair.