HARARE – A Zimbabwean judge on Wednesday further delayed to Thursday hearing an opposition application to block a recount of votes in 23 constituencies.

Justice Antonia Guvava was initially scheduled to hear the matter earlier this week on Tuesday but postponed it saying she first wanted to study an earlier ruling by another judge which allowed election authorities to carry out recounts.

Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) lawyer Selby Hwacha told ZimOnline that the judge would now hear the matter on Thursday. 

"The hearing will resume tomorrow (Thursday) at 1600hrs," said Hwacha.

The MDC wants the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) stopped from recounting votes until it has released the result for the presidential election held more than two weeks ago.

No official results have been released for Zimbabwe’s March 29 presidential election that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai claims he won with more than 50 percent of the vote, enough to avoid a second round run-off against President Robert Mugabe. 

However, ruling ZANU PF party and independent election observers say Tsvangirai won with less than 50 percent of the vote, warranting a rerun of the ballot.

The MDC, which on Monday lost a court bid to force electoral authorities to release results of the presidential poll, has accused the ZEC of withholding results in a bid to fix the vote and force a re-run of the poll that it says Mugabe is preparing to use violence and terror to win.

The MDC, whose attempt to call a general strike to force release of poll results flopped on Tuesday, says that ZANU PF militants have intensified violence against its supporters. – ZimOnline.