The prospect of punitive action against President Robert Mugabe grew yesterday when the Commonwealth added its voice to the chorus of condemnation against Zimbabwe's newly re-elected president. And as police and army continued to patrol the streets of Harare, trade union leaders said they were considering mounting a mass protest.
In a hard-hitting statement, the leader of the Commonwealth observer group, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, told reporters that last weekend's election took place in a "climate of fear".
Paramilitary groups organised under the guise of a "National Youth Training Programme" led a systematic campaign of state-sponsored violence, he said.
Combined with massive disenfranchisement of voters and partisan policing, the result - giving Mr Mugabe 56 per cent of the vote - did not "allow a free expression of will" by Zimbabweans.
The uncompromising statement could result in the suspension of Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth when a final report is issued, possibly as early as next week.
Mr Mugabe is becoming increasingly isolated internationally. Both Britain and the US have refused to recognise the poll described by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) as "daylight robbery".
"Zimbabweans have plainly been denied their fundamental right to choose by whom they are governed," the British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw told the House of Commons.
In Harare, the MDC leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, has counselled against mass protest but growing anger has sparked other groups to take a lead.
Police prevented the leaders of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) from meeting in a city centre hotel yesterday to discuss the possibility of a general strike.
The meeting was broken up under the Public Order and Security Act, a draconian law passed last January. At a press conference two hours later, the trade unionists explained that they needed a consensus among their leaders before taking action but hinted they may use "certain strategies that we cannot discuss in public".
"The labour force is under siege. The members should be prepared," said the ZCTU secretary general, Mr Wellington Chibebi.
A political analyst, Mr John Makumbe, said afterwards that violence was "inevitable" because Mr Mugabe would use any means to quell mass public protest.
"He has waded too far into the river of violence. At this stage he cannot afford not to swim," he said.
It is still uncertain whether the trade unions or other civic groups will manage to mount a mass protest in the face of a heavy police and army presence.
Mr Mugabe is oblivious to western criticism but is still thought to be sensitive to comments from his African neighbours. However Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa have endorsed the poll, as has the Organisation of African Unity. But yesterday's Commonwealth report bucked the trend, confounding fears that certain countries would dilute its findings.
One observer said the African members had been among the most critical of Mr Mugabe.
Frank Millar, London Editor, reports: Britain's Conservatives last night challenged the Blair government to "stop talking" and "start doing" as Mr Jack Straw, again called on the Commonwealth to suspend Zimbabwe. In a statement to MPs, Mr Straw said: "Zimbabweans have plainly been denied their fundamental right to choose by whom they are governed.
"Robert Mugabe may claim to have won this election. But the people of Zimbabwe have lost."
And he said Britain would discuss the possible broadening of sanctions with her EU partners at the Barcelona summit, as well as with the US, G8 nations and the Southern African Development Community.
However, the shadow foreign secretary and deputy Conservative leader, Mr Michael Ancram, dismissed the "fine words" from Mr Straw, who he said had not gone far enough in his condemnation of an election which had been "sordid, dishonest, underhand, undemocratic and wrong" and which should not be allowed to stand.
Mr Ancram challenged Mr Straw: "Will you and the Prime Minister, along with the United States, take a lead in building an international coalition, including Europe and responsible members of the Commonwealth, to bring real and determined pressure to bear on Zimbabwe for new presidential elections to be held?"
Mr Straw said he believed "change will have to come to Zimbabwe".
Nuala Haughey, Social and Racial Affairs Correspondent, reports: The number of people seeking protection as refugees in Ireland from Zimbabwe has risen sharply this year.
Official figures show that 104 people registered asylum claims in the first two months of the year on the basis that they were fleeing persecution from Zimbabwe.
Last year 102 people from Zimbabwe claimed asylum.Zimbabweans now account for the fourth largest category of asylum applicants this year until the end of February, after Moldovans, Romanians and Nigerians. It is understood that those claiming refugee status here are all black Zimbabweans rather than whites.