ZIMBABWE:ZIMBABWE'S RULING Zanu-PF party has won the first of 23 constituencies involved in the country's partial general election recount, according to a state-run newspaper yesterday.
The recount for the seat, in Goromonzi West district, originally awarded to Zanu-PF but contested by the opposition, finished on Tuesday with just a one-vote difference from the first count and was retained by the ruling party, the Herald newspaper said.
Mr Mugabe's regime had called on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to carry out the recount after the party lost its parliamentary majority to a combined opposition by 110 seats to 97 following the March 29th poll.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called the process a sham that is being used by the ruling regime to facilitate the rigging of parliamentary and presidential votes to overturn their electoral gains.
Despite ongoing calls for the ZEC to release the results of the presidential election, which MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims to have won, the commission has maintained it cannot until the partial recount has been finalised.
An opinion piece published in yesterday's Herald also suggested the formation of a government of national unity under the leadership of Mr Mugabe could be the key to resolving the country's political and economic crisis.
Columnist Dr Obediah Mazombwe described a unity government negotiated by regional leaders of the 14-nation Southern African Development Community as "the most viable and safest way forward".
"The situation in Zimbabwe is dire, but all is not lost. Whilst the ruling party must stop behaving like a wounded buffalo, the opposition must stop its hysterics and lapses into delusion," said Dr Mazombwe .
Although the Herald is often seen as a government mouthpiece, deputy information minister Bright Matonga denied the article reflected the regime's position, and told reporters Zanu-PF was continuing to prepare for a second round in the presidential election.
As the crisis entered its fourth week, church leaders in Zimbabwe issued a joint statement on Tuesday urging international intervention to stop the state-sponsored violence they said was sweeping the country.
"Organised violence perpetrated against individuals, families and communities who are accused of campaigning or voting for the 'wrong' political party . . . has been unleashed throughout the country.
"We warn the world that if nothing is done to help the people of Zimbabwe from their predicament, we shall soon be witnessing genocide," said the statement signed by the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches.
Meanwhile, British prime minister Gordon Brown said yesterday he would back the introduction of an international arms embargo against Zimbabwe.