Mugabe starts 6th term

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By Angus Shaw ASSOCIATED PRESS

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) | Zimbabwe's longtime ruler, Robert Mugabe, was sworn in as president for a sixth term Sunday after a widely discredited runoff in which he was the only candidate. His main rival dismissed the inauguration as "an exercise in self-delusion."

Just hours after electoral officials said Mr. Mugabe won Friday's presidential runoff, which observers said was marred by violence and intimidation, the 84-year-old leader sounded a conciliatory note.

"Sooner or later, as diverse political parties, we shall start serious talks," he said in a speech after his swearing-in. He also had promised talks on the eve of the vote.

Mr. Mugabe, Zimbabwe's leader since independence from Britain in 1980, was expected at an African Union summit that opens Monday in Egypt, where he was to face fellow African leaders who want him to share power with his main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai.

Mr. Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, told Associated Press Television News that Sunday's inauguration was "meaningless."

"The world has said so, Zimbabwe has said so. So it's an exercise in self-delusion," he said.

Mr. Tsvangirai said he thought members of Mr. Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party were ready for talks.

"I think that the reality has dawned on all the elites in ZANU-PF," Tsvangirai said. "Without negotiating with the MDC, this is a dead-end."

African and other world leaders have condemned Friday's vote. Human rights groups said opposition supporters were the targets of brutal state-sponsored violence during the campaign, leaving more than 80 dead and forcing about 200,000 to flee their homes.

Residents said they were forced to vote by threats of violence or arson from Mugabe supporters who searched for anyone without an ink-stained finger - the telltale sign that they had cast a ballot.

On Sunday, Human Rights Watch said in a statement that Mugabe supporters beat people who couldn't prove they voted.

Mr. Tsvangirai withdrew from the race because of the violence, although his name remained on the ballot and his supporters may have spoiled their ballots rather than vote for Mr. Mugabe.

The electoral commission said total results showed more than 2 million votes for Mr. Mugabe, and 233,000 for opposition candidate Mr. Tsvangirai. Turnout was put at about 42 percent, and 131,000 ballots had been defaced or otherwise spoiled, apparently as an act of protest. Neither candidate got credit for the spoiled ballots.

A high number of spoiled ballots had been noted earlier Sunday by Marwick Khumalo, a member of Parliament from Swaziland who led a team of election observers from across the continent under the auspices of the African Union-sponsored Pan-African Parliament.

Also Sunday, a U.S.-led push to punish Zimbabwe ran into resistance from China, which can veto U.N. penalties sought against its African ally.

After talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, China's foreign minister said Beijing favors negotiations between Mr. Mugabe and the opposition.