Zimbabwe's High Court has rejected an opposition plea for the immediate release of results from last month's controversial presidential elections.
High Court judge Tendai Uchena ruled against the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party's demand on Monday afternoon.
"It's a very sad day in Zimbabwe," said MDC lawyer Andrew Makoni.
He added: "The court has given the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission a blank check. We don't know when the ZEC will be ready with results.
"We don't know what specific time would be reasonable in the eyes of the court."
Nearly three weeks have now passed since the beginning of the elections and still no official results have been announced.
MDC lawyer Andrew Makoni: "It's a very sad day in Zimbabwe."
The delay in announcing the results is thought to be designed to buy time for President Robert Mugabe to organise intimidation.
Independent and ruling party projections say Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC gained most votes but not the 50 per cent needed to win outright.
The MDC says he gained 50.3 per cent of the vote, but Zanu-PF has demanded a recount of the vote.
Last week five election officials were arrested by Zimbabwe police in what looks like an attempt by Mr Mugabe to influence the poll.
The five officials stand accused of undercounting votes for Mr Mugabe and prejudicing his candidacy in the country's presidential election.
The police allege they gave Mugabe 4,993 votes fewer than he earned.
Meanwhile, fears of mass violence are mounting amid claims from the MDC spokesman,
Tendai Biti, that ruling party militants used in the past to intimidate government opponents are being rearmed.
Mr Biti urged the African Union to intervene to prevent bloodshed.
"I say to my brothers and sisters across the continent - don't wait for dead bodies in the streets of Harare," Mr Biti said. "Intervene now."
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