The UN Security Council has unanimously condemned the violence and intimidation against Zimbabwe's opposition party.

A statement from the council said a free and fair presidential run-off vote on Friday would be "impossible".

Opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai has withdrawn from the election and taken refuge in the Dutch embassy in Harare.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said the vote should be delayed - but Zimbabwe's UN envoy said it would go ahead.

The BBC's John Simpson Tsvangirai seeks embassy refuge ...
Amnesty International demands Tsvangirai's release ...
Zimbabwe's opposition weighs run-off option ...
Mugabe slams Britain in celebratory speech ...
Bomb kills Dutch commander's son ... in Harare says few people in Zimbabwe even know that Mr Tsvangirai has withdrawn from the race, because the country's official media mention him and his party as little as possible.

'Scores killed'

"The Security Council condemns the campaign of violence against the political opposition," the UN statement says.

It goes on to say that the campaign "has resulted in the killing of scores of opposition activists and other Zimbabweans and the beating and displacement of thousands of people, including many women and children.

"The Security Council regrets that the campaign of violence and the restrictions on the political opposition have made it impossible for a free and fair election to take place on 27 June."

The British-drafted text is much-watered down from an earlier draft version that was even more strongly worded, but it is the first time that South Africa, Russia and China have agreed to criticise Zimbabwe.

Earlier, UN Secretary General Mr Ban called on Zimbabwe to postpone the run-off election.

He said holding the vote as scheduled would only "deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that cannot be credible".

He said: "Conditions do not exist for free and fair elections right now in Zimbabwe. There has been too much violence, too much intimidation."

He said he had discussed the issues with a number of African leaders, and advised President Robert Mugabe to postpone the election until the right conditions were in place for people to vote freely and fairly.

Mr Ban added that what happened in Zimbabwe had significance beyond its borders and was the "single greatest challenge to regional stability".

Mediation efforts

Mr Tsvangirai has been spending a second night in the Dutch embassy in the capital Harare.

A Dutch foreign ministry spokesman said Mr Tsvangirai feared for his safety, but had not requested asylum.

Zimbabwe's head of police, however, said Mr Tsvangirai was not in any danger.

On Monday, more than 60 supporters of Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party were arrested at its Harare headquarters.

President Mugabe and Zanu-PF blame the opposition for political violence across the country.

The MDC won the parliamentary vote in March, and claims to have won the first round of the presidential contest outright. According to official results, Mr Tsvangirai was ahead but failed to gain enough votes to avoid a run-off.

South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has been leading efforts by Zimbabwe's neighbours in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to mediate an end to the crisis.

Mr Mbeki is reported to be trying to arrange a meeting between Mr Mugabe and Mr Tsvangirai for talks on cancelling the election run-off and forming a government of national unity.

Mr Tsvangirai says pressure from the UN and Sadc could force Mr Mugabe to give up power.

"My assessment is that if there is a collective position by all Sadc leaders, that would be sufficient pressure - that voice is essential," he told US National Public Radio.

(BBC)

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