As Dispute Escalates, South Africa Urges Release of Zimbabwe Vote.

The verbal salvos over Zimbabwe's disputed election escalated Thursday, with the government accusing the opposition of treason, South Africa toughening its position by calling for the release of election results and the Zimbabwean opposition demanding that South Africa bow out as the mediator of the political standoff. Zimbabwe's government, in a state-run newspaper, said it had uncovered a plot by the opposition to conspire with Britain to topple President Robert Mugabe, who has led the nation since independence 28 years ago. The paper printed a 2,200-word document -- which British and opposition officials have dismissed as fake -- laying out a plan to ''bring about change at any cost.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]