Zimbabwe state radio said the country would instead be represented by three ministers at the summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), called to discuss deepening concern over a post election deadlock.

Mugabe's decision was a direct snub to Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, the SADC chairman, who called the meeting.

Mwanawasa last year described Zimbabwe as a "sinking Titanic" before getting back in line behind the body's softly softly approach to Mugabe.

Earlier, Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga had said Harare was not consulted before the summit was called.

State radio said demands for Mugabe to release the results were misplaced because that was the prerogative of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Human rights organisations and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change say Mugabe has unleashed a campaign of systematic violence in response to his ZANU-PF party's first electoral defeat, when it lost control of parliament in the March 29 election.

The MDC says its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won a parallel presidential vote, whose results have not been announced, and Mugabe's 28-year rule is over.

It accuses Mugabe of delaying the result so that he can intimidate opposition supporters before a runoff vote against Tsvangirai.

Zimbabwean police said all political rallies had been banned because officers were too busy guarding ballot boxes or deployed to prevent post-election violence.