The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said today it was not sure when the results of a disputed March 29th presidential election would be available.
"I can't say exactly when the results will come," ZEC Chairman George Chiweshe told a news conference.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says its leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat veteran President Robert Mugabe outright in the poll. The MDC accuses Mr Mugabe of delaying results to rig victory and has rejected the possibility of a run-off.
President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party failed to win back control of Zimbabwe's parliament in a partial vote recount, results showed today.
For the first time in 28 years, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had wrested a parliamentary majority from Zanu-PF in last month’s polls, triggering a recount of 23 out of 210 constituencies.
Police arrest Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters in Harare yesterday
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said 14 out of the 23 seats had been recounted so far, and the original result was confirmed in all of them.
Even if Zanu-PF won all the seats left in the recount, it would fall short of a majority because it had already won three of the remaining nine seats being recounted.
Original results from the voting showed that opposition groups won 110 seats to Zanu-PF's 97. Three seats are vacant, awaiting by-elections after the deaths of candidates.
Results of a parallel presidential election, which are also being partially recounted, have not been released.
The MDC says its leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Mr Mugabe (84) in the election.
A delay to the presidential result has brought growing international pressure on Mr Mugabe and stoked fears of bloodshed in a country already suffering an economic collapse.
Police, meanwhile, confirmed that they arrested 215 people in a raid on MDC headquarters in Harare yesterday and also searched the offices of the independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network looking for evidence that the Western-funded organisation bribed state election officials to rig polling results.
About 250 riot police wielding batons carried out a sweep on the MDC's Harvest House offices in the capital, Harare.
The MDC said those arrested were seeking refuge after being attacked by ruling party loyalists in the countryside.
Women, some pregnant or with babies strapped to their backs, were among those taken away by police. Girls who had been threatened with rape and men with broken bones were also herded into a bus and pickup truck during the raid, the opposition said. Others had come for help and news of relatives missing in a
wave of violence against opposition supporters blamed on militants of Mr Mugabe's party.
Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said those arrested were suspected of involvement in political violence.
Human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama said among those detained were 24 children. “They are internally displaced people. They were seeking refuge. Their houses had been destroyed or they were running away or wanted help to get to a hospital,” he said.
The raids sent a powerful message that Zimbabwe's long-time leader intends to hold on to power despite a growing global clamour for him to step aside and rising violence at home.
Hundreds of opposition supporters have been abducted, tortured and assaulted in recent weeks in what independent religious and human rights groups call a violent crackdown on dissent.
Human Rights Watch said that a campaign against those perceived to have “voted wrongly” has escalated this week.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today called on the international community to speak up over the violence against opposition supporters. “I condemn the violence against those who voted for change. Their voices must be heard," he said. “The whole international community must speak up against the climate of fear in Zimbabwe."