Zimbabweans check preliminary results of the March 29 elections at a polling station in the suburb of Epworth near the capital Harare, March 31, 2008, as they await the official announcement of results. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

HARARE (Reuters) - Riot police in armored carriers were deployed in two of Harare's restive townships on Monday night amid long delays in issuing Zimbabwe's election results which have raised tensions.

A resident of one of the townships, opposition strongholds, said a convoy of riot police in about 20 vehicles moved through the area.

"There are a lot of patrols here," said the resident, adding people had been told to stay off the streets.

Concern grew that long delays in issuing the election results hid attempts by President Robert Mugabe to cling to power by rigging.

People check the results of the March 29 presidential and parliamentary elections at a polling station in the eastern suburb of Mabvuku in the capital Harare March 30, 2008. REUTERS/Howard Burditt

More than 48 hours after polls closed, only 66 of 210 parliamentary constituencies had been declared, showing Mugabe's ZANU-PF party one seat ahead of the main opposition MDC. Two of his ministers lost their seats.

No results were announced for the presidential vote, in which Mugabe faces the most formidable political challenge of his 28 years in power.

"It is now clear that there is something fishy. The whole thing is suspicious and totally unacceptable," said MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) spokesman Nelson Chamisa.

Mugabe, 84, is under unprecedented pressure from a two-pronged attack by veteran MDC rival Morgan Tsvangirai and ZANU-PF defector Simba Makoni, who both blame him for Zimbabwe's ruin.

Zimbabweans are suffering the world's highest inflation of more than 100,000 percent, chronic shortages of food and fuel, and an HIV/AIDS epidemic that has contributed to a steep decline in life expectancy.

And although the odds seemed stacked against Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, analysts believe his iron grip on the country and solid backing from the armed forces could enable him to ignore the results and declare victory.

He rejects vote-rigging allegations.

"FAIR AND CREDIBLE"

There was a chorus of concern over the delays, including from former colonial ruler Britain, Washington, the European Union and both opposition challengers.

The U.S. State Department called on Zimbabwe's electoral commission to put aside "partisan sympathies" and "follow the letter and spirit of the law".

Marwick Khumalo, head of an observer group from the Pan-African parliament, said the elections themselves were free, fair and credible overall.

But he added: "The mission is concerned that two days after the closure of the polls, the overall outcome of the elections remains unknown."

Official results so far showed ZANU-PF with 31 seats, MDC with 30 and a breakaway MDC faction with five.

The MDC said unofficial tallies showed Tsvangirai had 60 percent of the presidential vote, twice the total for Mugabe, with more than half the results counted. Private polling organizations also put Tsvangirai well ahead.

In his first public comments since the vote, Makoni criticized the way results were being announced. "We are very worried by the manner in which things are unfolding," he said.

The Save Zimbabwe Campaign, a coalition of civic, political and religious groups, also expressed concern at the delay which it said "gives reason to Zimbabweans to suspect that the electoral process is being manipulated by the incumbent".

Tsvangirai and some international observers accused Mugabe of stealing the last presidential election in 2002.

MINISTERS LOSE SEATS

The MDC said its tally showed it had won 96 parliamentary constituencies out of 128 counted. Makoni had 10 percent of the unofficial presidential vote count.

"In our view, as we stated before, we cannot see the national trend changing. This means the people have spoken, they've spoken against the dictatorship," MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti said.

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa and Public Affairs Minister Chen Chimutengwende both lost their seats.

The state-run Herald newspaper accused the MDC of "preparing its supporters to engage in violence by pre-empting results, claiming they had won". The government has warned that any early victory claim would be regarded as an attempted coup.

Mugabe blames Zimbabwe's collapse on Britain and says Western sanctions have sabotaged the economy.

Electoral Commission chairman George Chiweshe said the delay in results was due to the complexity of holding presidential, parliamentary and local polls together for the first time.

In previous elections, most results have been released by this stage.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said there should be no unnecessary delay in releasing the results.

"The international community is watching events closely," he said.

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