Mugabe aides in talks with opposition about ceding power in Zimbabwe

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Advisers of President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai are discussing the possibility of Zimbabwe's longtime leader relinquishing power, a businessman close to the electoral commission and a lawyer close to the opposition told The Associated Press today.

The businessman said Mugabe has been told he is far behind Tsvangirai in preliminary results of Saturday's presidential elections and that there could be an uprising if Mugabe were declared the winner. The lawyer said advisers to both men were discussing a "transitional arrangement."

Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

However, the secretary-general of Tsvangirai's party, Tendai Biti, dismissed the reports, saying "It's rubbish."

Independent observers say trends indicate Tsvangirai won the most votes in the presidential race, but not enough to avoid a runoff -- a prospect that could be humiliating to the 84-year-old president.

No returns from the presidential vote have been made public, fueling fears of rigging. Mugabe has been accused of stealing past elections, though that was before Zimbabwe's economy collapsed and leading members of his own party openly defied him.