JOHANNESBURG — President Mugabe’s regime sought to delay the release of Zimbabwe’s election results still further yesterday by demanding a “recount and audit” of the presidential poll.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change was growing increasingly demoralized about the prospects for its leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, as Mr. Mugabe’s regime played for time so that it can plan for victory in the election’s second round.

The demand for a recount — even before an initial result has been announced — came as the ruling Zanu-PF party reverted to familiar tactics when its militias were unleashed on some of the last remaining white-owned farms.

Veterans of the independence war against white rule, who will play a central role in Mr. Mugabe’s strategy to win a sixth term, invaded eight farms yesterday.

Their actions followed a silent but menacing march through the capital, Harare, on Friday. It suggests they have been mobilized to help Zanu-PF cling to power.

With a presidential result still unannounced a week after the election, the MDC asked the high Court in Harare to rule on a petition demanding the immediate release of the results.

While a judge said he would rule today, Zanu-PF attempted to stymie the legal action by making its own demands.

The party said it wanted the electoral Commission to “recount and audit all its electoral material relating to last week’s presidential election following revelations of errors and miscalculations in the compilation of the poll result.”

It added that the commission should “defer the announcement of the presidential election result.”

The MDC spokesman, Tendai Biti, said the request was “madness.” he said: “Legally they have no right to ask for a recount, they have absolutely no footing to ask for a recount, so what they are trying to do is illegal.”

Under the electoral act, a second round must take place by April 19. But if the announcement of the result continues to be delayed, Mr. Mugabe may have an excuse to delay the run-off.

The MDC, which secured a majority in parliament’s lower house, has been officially announced the winner in half of the senate’s elected seats, taking 30 against 30 for Zanu-PF. Because Mr. Mugabe appoints six senators, Zanu-PF will still have a narrow majority in the upper house.

In the meantime, the justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, ruled out a possible national unity government comprised of Zanu-PF and the MDC, which had been widely discussed last week.

“We cannot see ourselves working with MDC-Tsvangirai. It’s like mixing water with fire,” he said.