Britain and the heads of the United Nations and African Union raised the crisis in Zimbabwe at a summit of Security Council and African leaders today, thwarting efforts by South Africa's government to block it.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, who chaired the meeting at UN headquarters as rotating Security Council president, insists there is no crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe, and wanted to keep the post-election deadlock off the agenda.
But back at home, Mr Mbeki's political rival Jacob Zuma, who ousted him as head of the ruling African National Congress in December and is gaining influence at his expense, backed international criticism of the delay in announcing results to the March 29th elections.
"The region cannot afford a deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. The situation is more worrying now given the reported violence that has erupted," he said in a speech in Johannesburg, his toughest comments yet on the issue.
South Africa is the region's political heavyweight, and its influence is considered vital in resolving the standoff between Zimbabwe's veteran leader Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which says it has won the vote.
British prime minister Gordon Brown, Zimbabwe's former colonial power, told the summit, "No one thinks, having seen the results of polling stations, that President Mugabe has won."
"Let a single clear message go out from here in New York that we ... stand solidly behind democracy and human rights for Zimbabwe," he said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the gathering he was deeply concerned by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's failure to publish the results of the poll.