(dpa) -
The United States on Tuesday questioned plans by Zimbabwean election officials
to recount the ballots in the controversial presidential elections, and said
the political stalemate over disputed outcome helped create a
"crisis."
"Zimbabwe is in a crisis. We are in a crisis in Zimbabwe,"
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, offering a US view sharply
differing from South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has denied that Zimbabwe
had fallen into a crisis.
Mbeki's comments came Saturday as 14 African nations met
trying to resolve the standoff over the March 29 elections. Opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims he outright defeated long-serving President
Robert Mugabe - an assessment shared by independent observers and
non-governmental organizations.
The Election Commission has refused to release the results,
but Mugabe claims the race was too close to call and runoff was needed. The
commission has ordered a recount.
McCormack said Mugabe's policies and repression have driven
the country into economic run, and raised questions about the integrity of a
recount that would take place "after there has not been a good chain of
custody regime in place for those ballots and those ballot boxes."
"Anything could have happened between election day and when a recount
takes place," McCormack said.
The issue is expected to be discussed Wednesday at an Africa summit at the UN
Security Council over which Mbeki is to preside.