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The UN Security Council declared on Monday that a free and fair run-off presidential election in Zimbabwe would be impossible now due to violence and restrictions on the opposition.

The non-binding statement, the council's first formal action on Zimbabwe, was adopted unanimously. This means it had the backing of South Africa, China and Russia, which had long opposed any council discussion of the crisis in Zimbabwe.

"The Security Council regrets that the campaign of violence and the restrictions on the political opposition have made it impossible for a free and fair election to take place on June 27," the statement said.

But Zimbabwe's UN envoy said the vote would go ahead despite the statement. "As far as we are concerned, the election will take place on Friday," Boniface Chidyausiku told reporters.

The Security Council text was watered down from an earlier version, which explicitly blamed President Robert Mugabe's government for the crisis and said opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai would be the legitimate leader if a credible run-off election cannot be held.

However, the final version says the council "notes that the results of the 29 March 2008 elections must be respected." Mr. Tsvangirai won that first-round election, though the government said his narrow victory meant a run-off was necessary.

The council has discussed the Zimbabwe crisis on several occasions but had taken no formal action since violence broke out after Mr. Mugabe lost on March 29.

This was because of objections from South Africa, a council member, which has insisted on "quiet diplomacy" with Mr. Mugabe's government, with the support of Russia and China.

Earlier UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Zimbabwe's government not to press ahead with a run-off election this week, saying the results would lack legitimacy.

"I would strongly discourage the authorities from going ahead with the run-off on Friday," he told reporters. "It will only deepen divisions within the country and produce a result that cannot be credible."

U.N. SYMPATHY FOR TSVANGIRAI

In Mr. Ban's strongest comments on Zimbabwe so far, he voiced understanding for Mr. Tsvangirai's decision to withdraw from the run-off.

"I would like to take this moment to say how distressed I am by the events leading to the understandable decision of the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai to withdraw from the run-off election scheduled for this Friday," Mr. Ban said.

"There has been too much violence and too much intimidation. A vote held in these conditions would lack all legitimacy."

Mr. Ban did not specifically blame Mr. Mugabe for the situation, though he did speak of a "campaign of threat and intimidation" against the citizens of Zimbabwe.

He said the problems in Zimbabwe had an impact beyond its borders, describing the situation as "the single greatest challenge to regional stability in southern Africa today."

In a speech to the council, UN Under-Secretary-General for political affairs Lynn Pascoe referred to a "staggering level of violence" in Zimbabwe but made clear he did not agree that Mr. Tsvangirai should be declared the country's legitimately elected leader.

Rather, a run-off poll was needed, he said, adding that the government and opposition in Zimbabwe "should immediately engage in talks to establish a period during which conditions for free and fair elections can be created."