By Cris Chinaka
HARARE (Reuters) - A two-week delay in releasing theoutcome of Zimbabwe's elections looked likely to be prolongedon Monday after electoral authorities said they would pressahead with recounts.
Zimbabwe's economy is in ruins, with the world's worst rateof hyper-inflation, but relief still seems far off with a webof legal manoeuvres preventing the population finding outwhether the 28-year rule of President Robert Mugabe is over.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) told state media itwould hold recounts of 23 constituencies in both theparliamentary and presidential poll next Saturday despiteopposition court bids to stop it.
A High Court judge was due on Monday to issue his ruling onan opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) applicationto force ZEC to release the result of the March 29 presidentialvote, in which it says its leader Morgan Tsvangirai defeatedMugabe.
The ruling ZANU-PF party says neither man won the necessaryabsolute majority and a run-off will be necessary.
Even if the court rules in favour of the MDC, the ZEC hasseveral options including lodging its own High Court case orappealing to the Supreme Court.
The delays have stoked tension in the southern Africannation.
The MDC and international human rights organisations sayMugabe has unleashed militias in a campaign of violence aroundthe country to intimidate opposition supporters ahead of arunoff.
The MDC says hundreds of villagers have been forced out oftheir homes by militia attacks and at least 50 needed medicaltreatment.
RECOUNTS
ZEC's recounts could overturn the MDC's victory in anothervote on March 29 in which ZANU-PF lost control of parliamentfor the first time.
MDC lawyer Selby Hwacha accused the ZEC of calling therecount to help ZANU-PF rig the poll and said the oppositionwould make a legal challenge on Tuesday -- possibly prolongingthe deadlock.
A top electoral official told state media the ZEC wouldpress ahead with a partial recount despite the legal challenge.
"It is within our mandate as the electoral authority to dothe recounts and they will proceed," the Herald newspaperquoted the ZEC's chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana assaying.
The government tried on Sunday to ease concerns themilitary might intervene to try to keep Mugabe in power.
"The soldiers are in the barracks where they belong becausethe country does not fully require their services in such apeaceful environment," the Sunday Mail quoted InformationMinister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu as saying.
"I believe everyone in the country is aware that there isno military junta."
Zimbabwe's generals occupy no official posts in its rulingparty, but the heads of the army and security forces arethought to have been key strategists in Mugabe's plan to fightback after the elections handed him his biggest defeat sincetaking power at independence from Britain in 1980.
In what the opposition says is a propaganda campaign, statemedia on Monday published a document alleged to have beenwritten by MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti containing theparty's plans to bribe polling officials to inflate MDC votes.
"This is a dirty campaign, a sign of desperation,publishing false documents which they have authoredthemselves," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa.
The MDC has called for an indefinite general strike onTuesday to push for poll results to be released.
Tsvangirai, who says he is a target of security forces, hassaid widespread violence could erupt unless African statesintervene.
A regional summit in Lusaka at the weekend called for therapid release of results and urged Mugabe to ensure any run-offwould be held "in a secure environment".
Mugabe did not attend.
(Additional reporting by Muchena Zigomo, Nelson Banya,MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by BarryMoody and Charles Dick)
