Mugabe sworn-in after winning no-contest election

Robert Mugabe took the oath of office Sunday for another presidential term after an overwhelming victory in Friday's presidential run-off election in which he was the only candidate.

The challenger, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, pulled out of the contest days before the election because of widespread violence.

African and other world leaders have condemned the election. Human rights groups say opposition supporters were the targets of brutal state-sponsored violence during the campaign, leaving more than 80 people dead and forcing some 200,000 to flee their homes.

The electoral commission said total results showed more than two million votes for Mugabe, and 233,000 for Tsvangirai, with 131,000 ballots either defaced or otherwise spoiled. Turnout was put at about 42 per cent.

Tsvangirai's name was still on the ballot and observers have suggested that his supporters deliberately spoiled ballots to reduce the tally for Mugabe.

Moments after the official results were announced on state TV, a marching band opened inauguration ceremonies for Mugabe at his official residence.

Dignitaries gathered in a red-carpeted tent as Mugabe swore to uphold his country's laws, before sitting down to sign documents amid cheers from his supporters.

Invitations for the inauguration went out even before official results from Friday's vote were announced.

Tsvangirai turned down an invitation from Mugabe to attend the ceremonies and said he would instead ask members of the African Union not to recognize Mugabe's re-election when they meet on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh, Eygpt.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said on Sunday the African Union will lose credibility if it fails to isolate Mugabe.

"African states should impose sanctions against Robert Mugabe and his illegitimate government in Zimbabwe after the sham presidential run-off," the organization said in a statement.

Mugabe had made it clear long before the vote that he had no intention of handing over power to Tsvangirai, whom he described as a lackey of the West. He said Zimbabwe's hard-won independence must not be compromised.

In one of his first official statements, Mugabe, 84, who has governed the country since independence from Britain 28 years ago, promised to hold "serious talks" on the country's future.

The opposition has suggested a transitional government in which Mugabe could continue to be a ceremonial head of state.

Mugabe has resisted all attempts to leave office despite worldwide condemnation for his mismanagement of the economy and the widespread abuse of human rights. A symbolic gesture of the global tide against the former freedom fighter was a decision by the Queen to strip Mugabe of his ceremonial knighthood on the advice of the British Government.

And the United Nations passed a resolution ahead of Friday's vote, saying the election would neither be free nor fair.

Zimbabwe's Election Diary

• March 29: Zimbabweans vote peacefully in presidential, parliamentary and local council elections.
• April 2: Opposition Movement for Democratic Change says its own tallies show its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won presidential elections outright with 50.3 per cent of vote.
• April 4: Ruling ZANU-PF party says there will be a run-off and endorses President Robert Mugabe as its candidate. Opposition goes to court to try to force release of all election results; court rejects demand.
• May 2: Electoral Commission releases presidential results, saying Tsvangirai won most votes, but not enough to avoid run-off with Mugabe, the second-place finisher.
• May 10: Tsvangirai, who left Zimbabwe after the election, announces in South Africa that he will participate in the run-off.
• May 16: Electoral Commission sets run-off date as June 27, after moving the deadline to 90 days after official election results are released -- beyond the legally required 21 days.
• May 17: Tsvangirai postpones return to Zimbabwe after his party said he learned about a planned assassination attempt.
• May 24: Tsvangirai returns to Zimbabwe.
• May 27: Tsvangirai says politically motivated violence has killed 50 of his supporters since the election.
• June 3: Government orders international aid groups to suspend operations, after accusing them of campaigning for the opposition.
• June 4: Tsvangirai detained for nine hours north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city.
• June 5: A mob believed loyal to Mugabe assaults a convoy of U.S. and British diplomats, beating a local staffer. The government orders aid groups to halt operations indefinitely.
• June 6: Tsvangirai detained briefly while campaigning near Bulawayo.
• June 12: Zimbabwe's No. 2 opposition official, MDC secretary general Tendai Biti, arrested at Harare airport upon returning from South Africa. Tsvangirai detained by police twice briefly while campaigning in the south.
• June 19: Biti formally charged with treason, which can carry the death penalty.
• June 20: Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights says it has recorded 85 deaths in political violence since the first round of voting.
• June 22: Tsvangirai announces he is pulling out of the run-off, citing violence against his supporters.
• June 27: Second round of voting is held. Tsvangirai's name remains on the ballot even though he has withdrawn from the race. Residents say they were forced to vote by threats of violence or arson from the Mugabe supporters.
• June 29: Electoral officials say Mugabe won the run-off and he is sworn in for a sixth term. Results show more than two million votes for Mugabe, 233,000 for Tsvangirai, and 131,000 defaced or spoiled votes.