Mugabe Circle Debates Future; Times Journalist Detained

HARARE, ZIMBABWE — President Mugabe's fractured inner circle called an emergency meeting for Friday morning to debate whether the president should step down or stand for a second round of voting against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who appeared to receive more votes in last weekend's election, ruling party sources said.

Several ruling party sources, including one of Mugabe's closest confidants, said yesterday that three options were under discussion: a negotiated, immediate departure for Mugabe; a second round of voting by April 19 as required by law; or a 90-day state of emergency in hopes of improving conditions before an eventual runoff. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

The dire state of Zimbabwe's finances make organizing a second round of voting difficult, sources said. Some ruling party officials are arguing that a runoff this month is impractical and that Mr. Mugabe must use emergency presidential powers to delay that vote until June or July.

Amid anxiety about the election results, police in the capital of Harare raided opposition party hotel rooms and a lodge where several foreigners were staying. Among those detained was the New York Times correspondent, Barry Bearak, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Afghanistan in 2002. Police also led away a second journalist and two other foreigners whose identities were not immediately known.

The newspaper issued a statement saying Mr. Bearak was being held for violating journalism laws. "We are making every effort to assure that he is well treated, and to secure his prompt release," executive editor, Bill Keller, said.

Zimbabwean officials have barred all but a handful of foreign correspondents from covering the election. Many of those working in the country are without official credentials, which the Information Ministry gives out selectively, mostly to journalists from countries seen as friendly to Mr. Mugabe's rule.

The pace of diplomatic activity intensified throughout the day, with South African officials shuttling between Mr. Mugabe's camp and Mr. Tsvangirai's.

Key issues in their talks included whether Mr. Mugabe and his allies would receive immunity from prosecution for any crimes against humanity, including the slaughter of thousands from the Ndebele minority group in the 1980s, the sources said.

As the discussions continued, both sides prepared for the possibility of another election in just more than two weeks.

"We're ready for it," secretary general of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Tendai Biti, said. "We'll not just beat him, we'll embarrass him." Mr. Mugabe's family members and several close friends are urging the 84-year-old leader to retire, ruling party sources said, while a group of hard-liners is calling on him to run in a second round.

The government's Herald newspaper, controlled by Mr. Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, implicitly acknowledged that the president did not win Saturday's vote by predicting a runoff.