Mugabe unlikely to win back control of Zimbabwe parliament

Harare: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe appeared unlikely on Saturday to win back control of parliament in a partial vote recount after a police crackdown on members of the opposition, which accuses him of stealing the poll.

Some 13 seats have been recounted so far. Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF must win nine of 10 remaining constituencies to take back control of parliament, according to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the state-run Herald newspaper reported.

On Friday, Mugabe resorted to strong measures used in the past to keep the opposition in check.

Armed riot police raided the headquarters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and detained scores of people in the toughest measures against the MDC since disputed elections last month, officials said.

The MDC says its leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat his old foe Mugabe in the March 29 election, and results showed it had also ended the ruling party's 28-year hold on parliament.

A delay to the presidential result and a recount of some parliamentary votes has brought growing international pressure on Mugabe, 84, and stoked fears of bloodshed in a country already suffering an economic collapse.