Southern African leaders to discuss Zimbabwe election

Zambia has called an emergency summit of southern African leaders to discuss the crisis in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Information Minister Mike Mulongoti said the meeting will be on Saturday.

President Levy Mwanawasa originally planned to send a delegation of former heads of state to investigate the situation in Zimbabwe but decided to hold the summit instead because the situation had grown so serious.

It is not known if Mugabe will attend.

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has started campaigning for neighbouring leaders to pressure Robert Mugabe to release election results and end the political crisis paralysing the country.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change claims its leader Mr Tsvangirai won the presidential vote outright and has asked the High Court to force publication of the results.

Hearings were continuing today, 11 days after the election.

The opposition claims Mugabe is delaying the release of the results so he can manipulate and threaten voters to ensure he does not lose a second run-off ballot.