Zanu-PF request for five area recounts granted

Zimbabwe's Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa says the electoral commission has accepted a Zanu-PF request for a recount of votes in five parliamentary constituencies. The ruling party is trying to overturn the result of the March 29 polls in which it lost control of parliament for the first time since independence.

Chinamasa says the commission has rejected seven appeals and nine are pending. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has a two-seat majority in Parliament. However a breakaway faction of the party has won another 10 seats and one has gone to an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, youth militia - allegedly loyal to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe - are reportedly behind the forced removal of around 60 farmers off their land since the weekend. The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union says the latest wave of farm grabs moved into high gear on Monday and Tuesday as groups of war veterans fanned out across four provinces, surrounding farms and ordering families to leave.

Zambia steps in to help resolve crisis
Brian Smith - who has been farming for 27 years - has gone into hiding in Harare after he and his family were kicked off his land. Smith says most of the farmers who were evicted had not even voted in the polls.

The MDC's bid to build up pressure on Mugabe after disputed polls are bearing fruit as plans are unveiled for a weekend summit to discuss the escalating crisis. President of neighbouring Zambia Levy Mwanawasa says he will gather his peers for talks on Saturday aimed at breaking the deadlock. President Thabo Mbeki has confirmed that he will also attend the summit.