"We have rejected the results because we don't believe they reflect the will of the people," said Tsvangirai, who leads the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The MDC has alleged widespread fraud in Thursday's parliamentary polls, which gave Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party the two-thirds parliamentary majority it needs to change the constitution at will. Western governments have also described the vote as unfair.

Addressing a news conference, Tsvangirai did not repeat earlier hints that his supporters might take to the streets to express their outrage, saying party leaders were still conferring on strategy.

"We will consult with the people on a plan to seek redress," he said. "I cannot disclose the plan to the media. We will disclose the plan to the people."

Zimbabwe police Saturday said they were ready to crush any post-election violence.

The MDC has charged ZANU-PF with using fear and intimidation to engineer a victory in the polls, and cited abuses including large numbers of voters turned away from polling stations and thousands of extra votes cast in battleground constituencies.

But local and international rights groups, the United States and European Union said five years of brutality already had tilted the electoral playing field in favour of Mugabe's party.

US Secretary of State Condol-eezza Rice said Friday that the Zimbabwe's legislative elections, won by the party of President Robert Mugabe, were neither free nor fair.

"Although the campaign and election day itself were generally peaceful, the election process was not free and fair. The electoral playing field was heavily tilted in the government's favor," said Rice in a statement.