The hours are counting down to the final decision of the opposition in Zimbabwe, one of the “last Outposts of Tyranny” on this earth. Word on the street is that if the order is given, they will protest.

Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said the party would not pursue legal challenges for the seats it believes were stolen.

Instead, he said, “the people of Zimbabwe must defend their vote,” stronger language than he used after 2000 and 2002 elections, which were characterized by massive fraud. But he denied he was calling for people to take to the streets, and would not say how the party plans to challenge the results.

“We do not accept that this represents the national sentiment,” he said. “This government has fraudulently once again betrayed people, led them through a garden path believing that they were going through a process which is democratically transparent, and that at the end of the day will the true will of the people.”

In the streets, his supporters were listening to results trickle in and waiting for a sign. Shepherd Matetsi, a 26-year-old mechanic, could not believe that ZANU-PF won his riding, and he was asking in the streets all day yesterday for news.

“We’re waiting for word from Tsvangirai. If he gives the word, we will go to the streets,” he said in the early evening. “But up to now he hasn’t said anything. If he calls us, we will go ???????? although there is some risk ÄtoÅ life. But he hasn’t called.”

The inaction was particularly frustrating for a group of 257 women, many of them elderly, others with young babies on their backs, who were arrested Thursday night at a prayer vigil for change in central Harare.

Many, who belong to Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA, which means “come forward” in Shona), were badly beaten by police before being hauled off to jail. As they came out of the station, many bound for hospital, at noon yesterday, they were skeptical of Mr. Tsvangirai’s oblique demand that they defend their vote.

“If Morgan really means it, can he please do something, set a good example and we’ll follow it,” said national co-ordinator Jenni Williams. “I’m sorry to criticize him now, but I just spent my birthday morning in custody doing what I think he should be doing. We in WOZA campaigned for women to go and vote, and then to defend their vote, and to do that you have to do something.”

Mr. Tsvangirai said the opposition had a plan, although he refused to say what it was.

Tsvangirai needs to make a decision, and he probably has until the end of the weekend to do it. The protest shouldn’t be called before the entire results are announced, and certainly not after all of the journalists leave. I have a feelings if the story of the year from Africa breaks, they won’t mind risking being expelled from the country. And even if they don’t, then we have great bloggers like Sokwanele, who is putting out a report on the electoral fraud tomorrow.

Most importantly, however, the protests need to be called before these same able and willing people who want to do something about their grave situation give up hope. Mugabe’s coup over the constitution has to be stopped. Tsvangirai needs to realize that this is bigger than his own life, stand up, and say, “Enough!”