The recount involved 23 districts, and ZANU-PF needed to win majorities in at least nine to overcome the Movement for Democratic Change. But none of the 18 districts where the commission released the recount results changed hands, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"It's really a heavy blow," a senior ZANU-PF official allied to Mugabe told The Times. "Now that there is no change in the recount, I believe that this now gives people second thoughts."

The results of the presidential election have not been released and Mugabe has refused to concede defeat. Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, has said he believes he won more than 50 percent of the vote, which would avoid a second-round election.

The ZANU-PF official said some leaders in his party believe Mugabe has no chance to win a runoff and hope that a unity government can be cobbled together.