Zimbabwe's Mugabe sworn in for sixth term
- 00:01:14
- ITN
Zimbabwe's Mugabe sworn in for sixth term
Robert Mugabe has been sworn in for a sixth term after he won Zimbabwe's one-horse race presidential election.Official figures from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed Mr Mugabe with 2,150,269 votes, or 85.51 per cent, compared to 233,000 for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. There were 131,481 spoilt ballots.Mr Tsvangirai pulled out of the election because of a campaign of terror waged by Mr Mugabe's henchmen. However, his name remained on the ballot papers because electoral authorities refused to accept his withdrawal.In disputed March 29 elections won by Mr Tsvangirai received 47.9 per cent of votes and Mr Mugabe 43.2 per cent.Mr Mugabe, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, was sworn in for a new five-year term in a ceremony at State House.Following the ceremony, Mr Mugabe said: "Indeed it is my hope that sooner rather than later, we shall, as diverse political parties, hold consultation towards ... dialogue as we minimise our differences and enhance the area of unity and co-operation."Mr Tsvangirai, who rejected Mr Mugabe's invitation to attend the swearing-in, said he will ask African Union leaders meeting in Egypt on Monday not to recognise the re-election. Mr Mugabe is due to attend the AU meeting.Mr Tsvangirai said: "I can't give support to an exercise I'm totally opposed to... the whole world has condemned it, the Zimbabwean people will not give this exercise legitimacy and support."Pan-African parliament observers, one of the few groups able to monitor Friday's ballot, said the vote was so flawed it should be rerun.US president George Bush has called it a sham and said new sanctions will be imposed on an illegitimate government.He said he would call on the UN to impose an arms embargo on Zimbabwe and a travel ban on its officials.
ITN | June 29, 2008
