Zimbabwe's ruling party has been confirmed as the winner of the first of 23 constituencies to complete a recount of votes after March's election.
The electoral commission said Zanu-PF retained its parliamentary seat in Goromonzi West.
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change has dismissed the recounts as an attempt to rig the election and overturn its parliamentary majority.
The results of the presidential election have still to be announced.
Meanwhile, Zanu-PF has distanced itself from an article in a Zimbabwean state-owned newspaper calling for a power-sharing government.
Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga told the BBC that Zanu-PF was preparing for a second round in the presidential election.
There is no clear winner. No-one has got 51%. Therefore we should gear ourselves for a re-run
Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga
The MDC says its candidate, Morgan Tsvangarai, won March's presidential vote outright and have also rejected the idea of a unity government.
The electoral commission says it cannot publish the official presidential result until it completes the recount of presidential and parliamentary votes in the 23 disputed constituencies.
Goromonzi West was one of only two constituencies where the MDC requested a recount and according to the commission, Zanu-PF actually picked up just one extra vote following the recount to be confirmed as the winning party.
Zanu-PF needs to overturn just nine seats to reclaim its parliamentary majority.
Denial?
The opinion piece in The Herald says other Southern African countries should act as mediators between the government and opposition, to form a unity government under President Robert Mugabe which could organise new elections and write a new constitution.
It says political tensions following last month's presidential election make it impossible to hold a free and fair run-off in the near future. It also says the West must lift economic sanctions.
The BBC's Peter Greste in Southern Africa says the paper is regarded as a mouthpiece for Zanu-PF, so articles like this can be important indicators of the way the party is thinking.
But Mr Matonga denied the article was sanctioned by the government of Zimbabwe.
"The politburo said there is not going to be a government of national unity as proposed by Morgan Tsvangirai. That was thrown out," he told the BBC.
"We are waiting for the official announcement of results to say, we're waiting for a re-run, that's a fact. MDC knows that, Zanu-PF knows that, that there is no clear winner. No-one has got 51%.
"Therefore we should gear ourselves for a re-run. That's exactly what we are waiting for, for that official announcement. "
Mr Tsvangarai's MDC accuses supporters of the ruling Zanu-PF of voter intimidation and beatings ahead of an expected second round.
Post-election violence in Zimbabwe has displaced 3,000 people, injured 500 and left 10 dead, according to MDC secretary general Tendai Biti.
But Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa has denied anyone has died in political violence.
Meanwhile, the leader of the governing ANC in South Africa, Jacob Zuma, is refusing to blame Mr Mugabe for the violence.
Speaking to the BBC during a visit to London, Mr Zuma said the violence in Zimbabwe was unacceptable, but he wasn't prepared to judge individuals.
He also refused to criticise President Thabo Mbeki's "softly softly" approach as mediator.
"We are doing something more than anybody else in reality... other people are doing absolutely nothing."
Mystery ship
The Chinese ship carrying a consignment of weapons destined for Zimbabwe, the An Yue Jiang, has disappeared once again, but it is thought to be heading up the west coast of Africa from the Cape of Good Hope.
It has been refused permission to dock in South Africa and Mozambique and Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has urged other African leaders not to allow it to enter their territorial waters.
The Lloyds Maritime Intelligence Unit in London, which plots the location of ships around the world, says it is no longer possible to accurately establish exactly where the vessel is because readings are no longer being taken from its AIS (Automatic Identification System).
The AIS is a location beacon which every ship carries, which has a range of about 40 - 50 nautical miles.
It is possible that the An Yue Jiang is more than 50 nautical miles from the coast and is therefore not being picked up or that the AIS has been switched off.
The Lloyds MIU says that plotting points taken of the Chinese ship on Tuesday show that it was steaming north-west up the African coast at a speed of about 250 nautical miles a day.
The US is reported to be pressuring port authorities in Angola and Namibia - staunch allies of Zimbabwe's leader, not to allow them to dock.
BBC - 23.04.2008
