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| Mugabe parliament loss confirmed | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The party of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has failed to regain its parliamentary majority after a partial recount of votes from polls last month. | The party of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has failed to regain its parliamentary majority after a partial recount of votes from polls last month. |
| Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission said results were unchanged in 18 of 23 seats where recounts had taken place. | Zimbabwe's Electoral Commission said results were unchanged in 18 of 23 seats where recounts had taken place. |
| Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF needed to win nine seats to regain its majority, lost for the first time since 1980. | Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF needed to win nine seats to regain its majority, lost for the first time since 1980. |
| The opposition MDC says it also won presidential polls, although those results remain unreleased. | The opposition MDC says it also won presidential polls, although those results remain unreleased. |
| The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said the presidential results could be announced after the completion of the recounts, expected by Monday. | The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said the presidential results could be announced after the completion of the recounts, expected by Monday. |
| But ZEC Chairman George Chiweshe said a "verification and collation" process would take place with agents of the presidential candidates before the long-awaited results were released. | But ZEC Chairman George Chiweshe said a "verification and collation" process would take place with agents of the presidential candidates before the long-awaited results were released. |
| MDC spokesman Nqobizitha Mlilo told the BBC the recount results "only serve to confirm what we've always said in the past, that... we won this election hands down". | MDC spokesman Nqobizitha Mlilo told the BBC the recount results "only serve to confirm what we've always said in the past, that... we won this election hands down". |
| Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga told AFP news agency that the recount results showed the electoral system was "transparent". | |
| Opposition activists had feared the recount would be used to rig the results. | |
| Opposition arrests | Opposition arrests |
| The BBC's Peter Biles in Johannesburg says the protracted recount of votes has given Zanu-PF a lot of extra time in which to decide how to deal with what the opposition says is a defeat for Robert Mugabe. | |
| The MDC has alleged a government campaign of intimidation | |
| The MDC says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the presidential election outright, while independent monitors say he fell just short of the 50% threshold to avoid a run-off. | The MDC says its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, won the presidential election outright, while independent monitors say he fell just short of the 50% threshold to avoid a run-off. |
| Zanu-PF also says there is likely to be a run-off, as no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote. | Zanu-PF also says there is likely to be a run-off, as no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote. |
| The government has been accused of inciting an increasing campaign of violence against opposition supporters. | The government has been accused of inciting an increasing campaign of violence against opposition supporters. |
| Lawyers have told the BBC they have been denied access to 185 MDC supporters still in custody after police said they arrested 215 people in a raid on the opposition party's Harare office on Friday. | |
| Police said those detained were suspected of involvement in political violence. | Police said those detained were suspected of involvement in political violence. |
| But the MDC said they had been taking refuge from attacks by ruling party activists in other parts of the country, and told the Associated Press news agency they included pregnant women and men with broken bones. | But the MDC said they had been taking refuge from attacks by ruling party activists in other parts of the country, and told the Associated Press news agency they included pregnant women and men with broken bones. |
| 'Worsening violence' | |
| Earlier, US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer said the level of government intimidation in Zimbabwe was now so high that a fair run-off would not be possible. | Earlier, US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer said the level of government intimidation in Zimbabwe was now so high that a fair run-off would not be possible. |
| She said the only solution was an inclusive government, led by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. | She said the only solution was an inclusive government, led by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. |
| Zimbabwe Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa called her comments "patently false, inflammatory, irresponsible and uncalled-for". | |
| UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was concerned about "worsening violence" in the country and pledged to step up diplomatic efforts at the UN Security Council in the coming days. | |
| Four elections - presidential, House of Assembly, Senate and local councils - were held on 29 March. | |
| In the House of Assembly, Zanu-PF won 97 seats, compared with 99 for the MDC plus another 10 for a smaller MDC faction. | |
| It is the first time Mr Mugabe has lost control of the lower house of parliament in his 28-year rule since independence in 1980. | |
| In the Senate, Zanu-PF and the combined opposition have 30 seats each. |