U.S. envoy warns of possible new U.N. steps on Zimbabwe

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will consider further steps on Zimbabwe if Harare ignores a council statement declaring a free and fair election run-off impossible, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters after a council session, Khalilzad, who is currently president of the council, declined to be drawn on what steps the 15-nation body might take.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday defied mounting pressure from inside and outside Africa, including Monday's council statement, to call off Friday's presidential run-off vote, saying he had a legal obligation to go ahead.

"We will look at measures to be taken in the face of the defiance," Khalilzad said. "We don't have any specific date or measure at this point in mind ... We have to give it a little bit of time to see what the reaction is, and then we have to look at what do you do to bring about compliance."

Earlier, Zimbabwe's U.N. Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku told reporters the message he was getting from Harare was that the elections were going ahead.

According to official figures, Mugabe narrowly lost in the first round in March to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who has alleged a widespread campaign of violence by the ruling party aimed at swaying this week's vote.

Commenting on the unanimous council statement, Chidyausiku said, "We would appreciate a mediation role that is impartial from the United Nations, but condemnation and apportion of blame that is one-sided does not help the situation."

Asked about media speculation that outside powers might intervene in Zimbabwe, the envoy said, "Let them try it."

(Reporting by Patrick Worsnip, Editing by Cynthia Osterman)