Ban discussing U.N. help for Zimbabwe re-run

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday he was talking to African states about how the world body could help ensure an election run-off in Zimbabwe is credible and voiced concern at growing violence.

Zimbabwe's opposition MDC has yet to say whether its leader Morgan Tsvangirai would contest a second round against President Robert Mugabe, but has said one condition for doing so might be a U.N.-led observer mission.

The opposition rejects results showing Tsvangirai failed to beat Mugabe by a big enough margin in the March 29 vote to avoid a run-off and accuses his supporters of a campaign of violence.

But to pull out now would mean Mugabe automatically keeps a 28-year hold on power in his ruined country.

Ban told reporters at U.N. headquarters he would discuss a possible U.N. role in Zimbabwe with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who chairs the African Union, and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, who leads southern Africa's regional bloc.

"I have been constantly following and monitoring the situation and discussing how the United Nations and the African Union together can help the Zimbabwean situation reach a very harmonious and credible way," he said in New York.

He said U.N. monitors and sending a U.N. envoy to Zimbabwe were both options.

"These are some ideas which I am going to discuss, what would be the practical possible ways at this time," he said.