Zimbabwean Opposition Warned; Do Not Cry Victory

(30 Mar 08 - RV) Zimbabwe's main opposition party has claimed an early lead in elections, including in an
apparent effort to thwart any attempt by the government to rig the vote count.

The Movement for Democratic Change said party leader Morgan Tsvangirai was leading the presidential race with 67 percent of votes, based on returns from 35 percent of polling stations nationwide.

The head of the Pan-African Parliament observer mission said he was sure most results were known and warned against a delay of an official Government announcement of the outcome.

However police have tried to persuade the opposition leaders not to announce results, arguing it was illegal for anyone other than the Electoral Commission to do so.

The southern African nation's security chiefs, say they will serve only President Mugabe and have warned against an eruption of violence similar to the aftermath of Kenyan elections.

Brenda Burral is the technical director of the Kumbatana trust in Zimbabwe