Mugabe Sworn In For New Term Amid Widespread Condemnation
Electoral officials needed less than 48 hours to declare Mr. Mugabe the winner of the run-off, whereas the results of the first-round e
The inauguration will allow Mr. Mugabe to attendan African Union summit opening Monday in Egypt with what he and his ruling ZANU-PF party will present as a fresh mandate. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said Mr. Mugabewon 2.15 million votes or around 85% of the ballots cast in Friday's election, which was preceded by weeks of political violence that primarily targeted members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which said scores of its supporters died from beatings and shootings by ZANU-PF militants. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who pulled out of the run-off on June 22, received some 233,000 votes while more than 130,000 ballotswere spoiled, the commission said. Reports said Mr. Mugabe invited Tsvangiraito attend the inauguration, but that Tsvangirai shunned the event, describing it as illegitimate. Mr. Mugabe's critics renewed calls forinternational action against his government. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odingasaid the African Union should deploy troops in Zimbabwe to help resolvethe crisis. South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu said there was a "very good argument" for an international force to restore peace in the country.Tutu called on the A.U. to send a “powerful signal” by unanimously rejecting anew Mugabe administration. But A.U. officials said Sunday that sending troopsor peacekeepers to Zimbabwe is not likely. African foreign ministers meeting in the Red Sea resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt, called on Saturday for dialogue between Zimbabwe's government and theopposition. A.U. officials said Zimbabwe is not officially onthe agenda of the summit opening Monday, when Mr. Mugabe is expected to join the heads of state and government in summit.