A partial recount of the ballots in the March 29 parliamentary and presidential elections handed the opposition an historic victory in parliament over President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairman George Chiweshe said he expected the recount of the presidential vote to be completed by Monday but could not say when the results would be released.

Representatives of the two main candidates, Mugabe and opposition challenger Morgan Tsvangirai, will meet with electoral officials on Monday to discuss the vote, Chiweshe said. Opposition lawyers said they were seeking a court order for access to more than 200 activists detained by armed riot police in a swoop on MDC headquarters in Harare on Friday.

Lawyers said the activists should be either charged or released by Monday. The MDC also took out a full page in The Standard, an independent newspaper, listing eight of the 15 people it says have been killed by government supporters in post-election violence.

Among the victims listed was a five-year old boy, Brighton Mbwera, who allegedly burnt to death while asleep after his home in the northeastern district of Uzumba was set on fire by ZANU-PF supporters.

Police could not immediately be reached to comment on the report.

Analysts said they believed that the presidential election results would be published later this week and that the recount was a delaying tactic aimed at securing victory for Mugabe through a campaign of violence.

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