Opposition reject Zimbabwe result

Robert Mugabe came second in the vote but is determined to keep fighting

Zimbabwe's main opposition party says it will reject the result of the presidential election, if reports of the outcome are confirmed.

The Movement for Democratic Change says its leader gained more than 50% of the vote but election officials say he did not defeat President Mugabe outright.

The two sides are meeting officials to reconcile their vote tallies.

Meanwhile, the defence minister in neighbouring Botswana says Zimbabweans are fleeing recent violence.

Dikzakzamatso Seretsi told the BBC's Network Africa programme that almost 100 people had arrived in the past three days.

The process is going on very well. I don't see any reason why we can't finish today Emmerson Mnangagwa Zanu-PF

He said in the past, Zimbabweans had been economic migrants but now they were seeking political asylum.

"Some people are scared because there is conscription into the veteran organisation [pro-government militia]. Some are saying their houses are being burned. Some are saying they're being tortured."

Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and human rights groups say there is a massive campaign of violence against opposition activists in rural areas ahead of a possible run-off.

The MDC says hundreds of people have fled their homes and 20 have been killed.

The ruling Zanu-PF party says the scale of the violence has been exaggerated and accuses the MDC of staging political attacks.

Significant difference

"It appears ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) is determined to announce its results - that will certainly be rejected by us," said Mr Tsvangirai's representative, Chris Mbanga.

On Thursday, election officials told the parties that Mr Tsvangirai had gained 47.8% against 43.2% for Mr Mugabe.

But the MDC says Mr Tsvangirai gained 50.3%.

How can you have a run-off when Mugabe over the last month has been unleashing violence, death squads and violence against our structures? Morgan Tsvangirai Movement for Democratic Change The unending election count Key role for security chiefs Send us your comments

Correspondents say the discrepancy is small but hugely significant.

Mr Mugabe's representative, Emmerson Mnangagwa, earlier told the AFP news agency that the results could be agreed on Friday.

"The process is going on very well. I don't see any reason why we can't finish today," he said.

However, MDC spokesman George Sibotshiwe says the process could take three or four days, as they are querying 120,000 votes officially given to Mr Mugabe.

"We just said to the electoral commission we're not moving forward until we understand where these 120,000 votes came from," he said, reports the AP news agency.

If the parties fail to agree, the commission has said the candidates must then go back over the paperwork until they all accept the figures.

"Where we don't agree, we will pull out every relevant document to ensure we have the same figures," ZEC chairman George Chiweshe said beforehand.

"At some stage, we have to agree."

Mr Tsvangirai has said he would not take part in a run-off, because he won outright, as well as the violence.

"How can you have a run-off when Mugabe over the last month has been unleashing violence, death squads and violence, against our structures and decimating our electoral structures on the ground," he told French television on Thursday.

But analysts say a boycott would hand Mr Mugabe victory.