TIMELINE: Aftermath of Zimbabwe's crucial elections

(Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change won a March presidential election but faces a run-off vote after its leader failed to garner enough votes against President Robert Mugabe, the electoral body said.

Below is a chronology of key developments since presidential, parliamentary and local elections on March 29.

March 30 - The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims victory based on early results.

March 31 - Electoral commission starts announcing results of parliamentary election. Seats are split evenly between the opposition and ruling party. No presidential results emerge.

-- Observer mission from regional group SADC says elections were free and fair but expresses concerns over delay to results.

-- United States, European Union and former colonial power Britain voice concern over delay to vote counting.

April 1 - ZANU-PF projections obtained by Reuters show opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would beat Mugabe but not with enough votes to avoid a run-off.

April 2 - MDC says it won presidential and parliamentary elections and calls on Mugabe to concede. ZANU-PF says MDC claims are "wishful" and Mugabe is going nowhere.

-- State-owned newspaper, The Herald, says Tsvangirai and Mugabe -- frontrunners in a field of candidates -- will face a run-off as neither will get 51 percent for an outright win.

-- Latest parliamentary election results show ZANU-PF with 93 seats and the MDC on 91, out of 206.

April 4 - ZANU-PF backs Mugabe to fight a run-off.

April 6 - MDC goes to court to try to force release of presidential results.

April 7 - Tsvangirai meets Jacob Zuma, head of South Africa's ruling African National Congress, after appealing for help from outside powers to end Mugabe's rule.

-- Police say they have arrested seven election officials for undercounting votes for Mugabe.

April 12 - Mugabe snubs emergency meeting of SADC.

April 13 - The MDC vow to challenge a partial recount announced the day before, designed to help Mugabe.

April 14 - High Court refuses to order release of results.

April 15 - An opposition general strike to demand the release of results flops.

April 17 - Zimbabwe's leaders accuse Tsvangirai of treason and of working with Britain.

-- South African President Mbeki insists talking with all parties is the only solution.

-- Western states join the U.N. in urging action to ensure a fair election outcome but most African states avoid the issue.

-- The United States criticizes Africa for lack of action; South Africa expresses concern for the first time.

April 18 - Mugabe bitterly attacks Britain in his first major post-election speech to mark independence day, saying London was paying the population to turn against him.

-- A court rejects an opposition bid to block a recount of votes in 23 constituencies, which begins the next day.

April 20 - Zimbabwe announces delay in the partial recount. Opposition says 10 of its members have been killed and hundreds arrested. The African Union urges Zimbabwe to release results.

April 21 - Tsvangirai, who has been traveling abroad after the poll, urges U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and African leaders to intervene, saying the military were terrorizing the people.

April 22 - South Africa's Zuma says delay is not acceptable.

April 24 - The United States and Britain call for arms embargo against Zimbabwe.

April 25 - Riot police raid MDC headquarters and detain scores of people.

April 29 - Verification of the disputed results starts, after a partial recount ended.

May 2 - Opposition Movement for Democratic Change won the presidential election but faces a second-round vote, says the country's electoral body.

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Edited by Jon Boyle)