TIMELINE: Aftermath of Zimbabwe's crucial elections

(Reuters) - Below is a chronology of some of the key developments since Zimabwe's parliamentary, presidential and local elections on March 29.

March 30 - Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) claims victory over President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party based on early results pinned up outside polling stations.

March 31 - Electoral commission starts announcing results of parliamentary election.

-- Observer mission from regional group SADC says elections were free and fair but expresses concerns over delay to results. Monitors from South African opposition refuse to sign report.

April 1 - MDC says it is on the verge of power after dismissing speculation it is negotiating a managed exit for Mugabe. The government also dismisses reports of talks.

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 Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe will face a run-off as neither will achieve the absolute majority required for an outright win.

-- Final parliamentary election results show ZANU-PF with 97 seats and the MDC 99 with ten seats going to a breakaway opposition faction. A total of 206 seats were contested.

April 5 - Tsvangirai declares victory over Mugabe in the elections and accuses him of "preparing a war on the people".

-- ZANU has asked election officials to defer release of the presidential poll results and conduct a recount.

April 7 - Tsvangirai meets Jacob Zuma, head of South Africa's ruling African National Congress party 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 in the presidential poll.

April 10 - The opposition accuse Mugabe of carrying out a de facto coup to extend his 28-year rule.

April 12 - Zambia holds an emergency meeting of the 14-member SADC regional bloc to discuss Zimbabwe's post-election impasse. Mugabe snubs the meeting.

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 the immediate release of delayed results in a major blow to the opposition MDC, after its April 6 challenge.

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