Robert Mugabe must not be allowed to wield power from behind the scenes as part of a new transitional government in Zimbabwe, Britain has warned.
South African President Thabo Mbeki has reportedly drawn up proposals that would allow Mr Mugabe to remain as titular president and head of state while handing over power to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister.
However Foreign Secretary David Miliband, in Johannesburg for talks with South African leaders, reacted coolly to the idea of any continuing role for Mr Mugabe as part of transitional settlement.
"We cannot be in a situation where in fact Mr Mugabe is able to control things from behind the scenes," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.
Britain, like other leading powers including the United States and France, has refused to recognise Mr Mugabe's victory in last month's final run-off for the presidential elections after Mr Tsvangirai pulled out citing the brutal campaign of violence and intimidation against his supporters.
Mr Miliband said he believed that the original elections in March - which were won by Mr Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change - still offered the basis for a transitional settlement.
"We do have the first round which showed us the democratic will of the people of Zimbabwe. They voted for change," he said.
"The opposition has a majority in Parliament and Mr Tsvangirai won the presidential election, even though he didn't reach the 50% threshold that would have negated that need for a second round.
"So there is the start of a democratic mandate. That is the basis for a transitional government and I think that that is the basis for progress in Zimbabwe."
Mr Miliband said that he hoped Mr Mbeki - as the regional mediator - would add an African Union delegate to his mediation team in order to strengthen the drive for a transitional settlement.
