ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
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And I'm Melissa Block.
Diplomatic pressure is mounting on Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe. Today, the United State Chief envoy to Africa held talks in Pretoria, South Africa about Zimbabwe's election standoff.
The envoy, Jendayi Frazer, added her voice to growing called for a settlement and she said Mugabe's opponent appears to have won more votes in Zimbabwe's presidential elections held last month.
NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.
OFEIBEA QUIST-ACRTON: Twenty six days after Zimbabweans went to vote for their new leader, they're still waiting for the results of the presidential election.
Opposition Leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims he won the first round outright, a position the U.S. Secretary State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer appear to support.
Dr. JENDAYI FRAZER (U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs): The most credible results that we have to date are a clear victory for Morgan Tsvangirai in the first round and perhaps a total victory. We don't know that -if he got more than 50 percent and we may never know given how long it's taken to release the tally on the presidential elections.
QUIST-ARCTON: The opposition has accused 84-year-old President Robert Mugabe of withholding the results so that he can plot how to prolong his 28 years in power.
Human rights organizations, church leaders, and Mugabe's political opponents say, meanwhile, his supporters have unleashed an orchestrated campaign of violence and retribution. Frazer said Washington was deeply worried.
Dr. FRAZER: The U.S. is increasingly concerned about the violence in human rights abuses taking place in Zimbabwe after the election. There have been many documented reports of civilians being beaten by Zimbabwe security forces, so-called war veterans and youth militia. This is creating an environment of intimidation and violence.
QUIST-ARCTON: However, Jendayi Frazer said there was room for compromise and did not rule out the notion of the national unity government in Zimbabwe floated by the authorities.
But she stressed that any coalition government would have to be lead by Morgan Tsvangirai and not Robert Mugabe.
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton NPR News, Johannesburg. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
