Tsvangirai, right, is threatening to boycott a second round presidential run-off against Mugabe [AFP]

Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwaen president and Zanu-PF party leader, is challenging results in 53 of the 210 constituencies, the Herald newspaper reported.
 
The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is also disputing results in 52 seats, the paper said
 
The volume of petitions have prompted the country's chief justice to appoint 17 more judges to the electoral court.
 
Charles Nyatanga, master of the high court and effectively the chief legal administrator, said his office had "received 105 petitions, which have to be determined within six months in terms of the Electoral Act".

Lawyers handling the petitions have been invited for a meeting with judges on Friday.

"All the lawyers who are dealing with election petitions (are invited) to attend the meeting where the procedure would be discussed," he said.

Electoral upset

The legislative election on March 29 saw Zanu-PF lose its majority in parliament for the first time since the former British colony's independence 28 years ago, with the MDC taking 109 seats against 97 for Mugabe's party.

A partial recount was held last month after the results in 23 constituencies were challenged but the initial outcome was confirmed in each seat.

Morgan Tsvangirai, MDC leader, also beat Mugabe in a simultaneous presidential election but fell short of an overall majority needed to avoid a second round.

The country's electoral agency is yet to announce the date for a second round of the presidential elections which Tsvangirai is threatening to boycott.

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