Poll results trickle in for crisis-hit Zimbabwe

By Stella Mapenzauswa

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's presidential election results remained unknown on Thursday as President Robert Mugabe called a meeting of his top leadership to discuss how to face the biggest crisis of his 28-year rule.

Amid uncertainty over whether he can hang on to power, authorities said results of elections to the senate, the upper house of parliament -- which must precede presidential results -- were beginning to trickle in after delays because of "logistical problems".

According to the first batch of results issued by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Thursday night, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF each won five senate seats out of 60 contested.

Zimbabweans have been eager for word on Mugabe's fate since he lost control of parliament on Wednesday for the first time.

The country has been waiting since Saturday to hear whether Mugabe has also been defeated in the presidential vote, as the MDC says.

The MDC, and many Zimbabweans, believe the unprecedented delay in issuing results masks attempts by Mugabe's entourage to find a way out of the crisis.

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Mugabe faces deep discontent as Zimbabwe suffers with the world's highest inflation rate of more than 100,000 percent, a virtually worthless currency and severe food and fuel shortages.

Ruling ZANU-PF party sources said the president would chair a party leadership meeting called for Friday.

Senior ZANU-PF official Didymus Mutasa declined to comment on whether the party was planning for a runoff against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, although another official said earlier it was ready for a vote and would win it.

"All I can confirm is there is a politburo meeting," said Mutasa, the party secretary for administration.

Analysts said Mugabe was believed to have convened the leadership to discuss their next move after ZANU-PF's first defeat in a parliamentary election and to gauge how much support there was for him running in a second round presidential poll.

Asked about media reports that the government had launched a crackdown on some MDC officials on Thursday night, two party officials said they were not aware of such measures.

"That said, it is important to note that with this regime you cannot rule out anything," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Reuters.

The United States voiced concern about possible manipulation of the vote count.