(BRUSSELS) - The EU Commission called Saturday for a "negotiated political resolution" to Zimbabwe's electoral crisis, based on the first round vote result when opposition head Morgan Tsvangirai came out on top.

The European Commission "condemns in the strongest terms the organization of a run-off in Zimbabwe despite repeated appeals by African and international authorities for a postponement," EU Commissioner for Development Louis Michel said in a statement.

Counting was underway in Zimbabwe on Saturday with President Robert Mugabe certain of victory after a one-man election marked by intimidation of voters and branded a sham also by the opposition and the West in general.

Michel said Europe expected strong leadership from both the African Union and the Southern African Development Community "to secure a negotiated political resolution of the crisis and push for a transitional framework for Zimbabwe, to prevent the country from plunging further into the abyss."

However any such mediation or negotiation "must be based on the results of the first run of the elections, where the people of Zimbabwe were able to express their will," he added.

Opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate Tsvangirai was the winner of the first round vote on March 29, with 47.9 percent of votes to Mugabe's 43.2 percent, but refused to take part in Friday's run-off after a wave of deadly attacks on his supporters.

"We consider that the systematic use of state-sponsored political violence and intimidation which led to the withdrawal of MDC candidate Morgan Tsvangirai has totally undermined the credibility of the process.

"The results of such a sham election cannot and will not be recognized as legitimate," said Michel, echoing the tone of reaction Friday from EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

"We will continue to closely follow the situation in Zimbabwe and we stand ready to support efforts towards ensuring democracy, stability, respect for human rights and economic recovery," said Michel in his statement.

The United States said Saturday it wants to introduce a UN resolution next week to send a "strong message of deterrence" to Mugabe over his alleged intimidation and violence.

Gordon Brown, prime minister of the former colonial power Britain, described the election as "a new low" and said the international community was coming together against Mugabe's "illegitimate" rule.

On Friday Solana said: "Democracy has not been served by today's run-off election. The people of Zimbabwe have been deprived of their right to vote freely and thus deprived of their dignity."

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