By Shapi Shacinda
LUSAKA (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbekiplayed down concern over Zimbabwe's post-election impasse onSaturday as regional leaders met in the Zambian capital todiscuss fears that the deadlock could lead to violence.
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa called the SouthernAfrican Development Community (SADC) summit to discuss Zimbabweafter a chorus of international demands for President RobertMugabe to release the result of the presidential poll held twoweeks ago.
"SADC can no longer continue to stand by and do nothingwhen one of its members is experiencing political and economicdifficulties," said Mwanawasa, the SADC chairman, when thesummit opened.
Zimbabwe is experiencing a severe economic crisis and manyof its people had hoped the election would draw a line undertheir deprivation and mark the start of a recovery.
Mugabe did not attend the summit, but denied his absenceamounted to a snub to the other leaders.
Mwanawasa told the 14-nation body: "This summit shouldfocus on helping Zimbabwe to find an answer that genuinelyreflects the mood of the people."
But Mbeki, who has consistently favoured a softer line withMugabe, said things were proceeding normally.
"I wouldn't describe that as a crisis. It's a normalelectoral process in Zimbabwe," Mbeki said after meeting Mugabein Harare and before flying on to Lusaka.
"We have to wait for ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) torelease (the results)," Mbeki told reporters, echoing Mugabe'sown stance on the unusually long delay in issuing the result.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change and Westernpowers say Mugabe is holding back the result so he can preparefor a runoff against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
The MDC and human rights groups say he is orchestratingsystematic violence to intimidate opposition voters.
Critics of the SADC say its response to Zimbabwe's economiccollapse has always been toothless, and Mbeki's position at thehead of the region's biggest power seemed to reduce the chancesof a decisive summit outcome.
Mbeki advocates "quiet diplomacy" and led an unsuccessfulSADC attempt last year to mediate between Mugabe and the MDC.
RESULT NOT ANNOUNCED
The opposition won the March 29 parliamentary election andsays Tsvangirai also won the presidential poll on the same day.
But no results of that election have been released, stokingMDC charges that Mugabe is planning a violent campaign toreverse the biggest setback of his 28-year rule.
The MDC has gone to court to try to force the ZEC torelease the result. A judge has promised a verdict on Monday.
Many Zimbabweans had hoped the vote would begin theirrecovery from economic misery marked by a near-worthlesscurrency, inflation at more than 100,000 percent, food and fuelshortages and 80 percent unemployment.
Mugabe, aged 84 and in power since independence fromBritain in 1980, said he was not snubbing the summit, to whichhe sent three government ministers.
"He (Mbeki) is going to the summit, I'm not ... We're verygood friends, very good brothers. But sometimes we also haveother business that holds us back," he said.
Mugabe dismissed British Prime Minister Gordon Brown'sremark that the world was losing patience. "If Brown is theworld, sure, he will lose patience. I know Brown as a littletiny dot on this planet," he said.
Mbeki had talks with Tsvangirai on Thursday but no detailswere revealed.
Tsvangirai earlier met Jacob Zuma, who ousted Mbeki asleader of the ruling African National Congress last Decemberand now rivals him as South Africa's most powerful man. Zumajoined those calling for the election results to be released.
South African media reports say there is pressure withinthe ANC to reverse Mbeki's quiet approach in the face of acrisis that has flooded the country with millions of Zimbabweanimmigrants.
Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said onFriday that Zimbabwe "now stands on the brink".
"SADC must insist that a peaceful and just solution befound to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe," he said.
(Additional reporting by Serena Chaudry in Lusaka, CrisChinaka, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Nelson Banya, Stella Mapenzauswa,Muchena Zigomo in Harare and Sue Thomas in Johannesburg;Writing by Barry Moody; Editing by Marius Bosch and Tim Pearce)
