Johannesburg/Harare  - Zimbabwe's opposition on Saturday called for the support of the international community, fearing a violent government crackdown.

The country was very tense. "Everything can happen," Eliphas Mukondweshuro, spokesman for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said.

There were indications that the security forces under the command of President Robert Mugabe wanted to provoke an armed conflict, as had happened in the past.

The world had to continue to exert pressure on Zimbabwe's government, also via the Southern African Development Community (SADC), he said.

The opposition urged the country's election commission to finally release the eagerly awaited results of the presidential elections.

MDC on Saturday filed a court injunction demanding publication of the results. It remained unclear whether their motion was to gain court approval.

The official election commission had argued that while Zimbabwean laws said the results had to be released within six days after the polls, they said it was not stipulated whether it had to be calender days or working days.

Working with this legal interpretation, the commission would have until Monday to release the results.

The government Zanu-PF party raised doubt about the MDC's success in the parliamentary polls. The opposition won 16 constituencies only by issuing bribes, Mugabe's party said.

Should the election commission follow this line of argument, the Zanu-PF could reclaim a parliamentary majority.

According to the commission, opposition parties won 109 of the 210 parliamentary seats, with 99 won by the MDC against Zanu-PF's 97.

Mugabe wants to compete against opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai in a run-off.

The 84-year-old was nominated by his party in case of a run-off, which would be necessary in case none of the candidates won more than 50 per cent of the poll. (dpa)