Zimbabwe's Mugabe Sworn In For Sixth Term

Despite Thousands Of Ballots Defaced, Spoiled In Protest, Overwhelming Victory Claimed For President

(AP)  President Robert Mugabe was sworn in for a sixth term Sunday just hours after officials said he overwhelmingly won a discredited runoff. His main rival dismissed the inauguration and said the next step would be power-sharing talks.

As dignitaries watched under a red-carpeted tent at the State House complex, Mugabe held a Bible and stood before a red-robed, white-wigged judge to swear to uphold his nation's laws "so help me God." He then sat amid cheering to sign documents.

"The inauguration is meaningless," Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, told Associated Press Television News. "The world has said so, Zimbabwe has said so. So it's an exercise in self-delusion."

The 84-year-old Mugabe, Zimbabwe's leader since independence from Britain in 1980, was expected to depart almost immediately for an African Union summit that opens Monday in Egypt.

There, he can expect to come under pressure from under African leaders to negotiate a power sharing agreement with Tsvangirai, who said he believed members of 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 the election, in which Mugabe was the only candidate. Human rights groups said opposition supporters were the targets of brutal state-sponsored violence during the campaign, leaving more than 80 dead and forcing some 200,000 to flee their homes.

Residents said they were forced to vote Friday 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.

Tsvangirai had withdrawn from the race because of the violence, though his name remained on the ballot and his supporters may have spoiled their ballots rather than vote for Mugabe.

The electoral commission said total results showed more than 2 million votes for Mugabe, and 233,000 for opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai. Turnout was put at about 42 percent, and 131,000 ballots had been defaced or otherwise spoiled, apparently as an act of protest.

In the opposition stronghold of Bulawayo, official results showed Mugabe got 21,127 votes and opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai had 13,291, while 9,166 ballots were spoiled.

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 AU-sponsored Pan-African Parliament.

Khumalo said some ballots were defaced with "unpalatable messages." He refused to elaborate, but left the impression the messages expressed hostility toward Mugabe, who has been accused of ruining Zimbabwe's economy and holding onto power through fraud and intimidation.

Tsvangirai won the most votes in the first round of presidential voting in March, but not enough for an outright victory. Official results were not released for more than a month after that vote.

In recent days, African mediators have been pushing for Mugabe and Tsvangirai to negotiate a power-sharing agreement.

Mugabe said on the eve of Friday's vote that he was open to talks but pressed ahead with the election, apparently hoping a victory would give him leverage at the negotiating table.

Khumalo, the observer, urged African and regional leaders to "engage the broader political leadership in Zimbabwe into a negotiated transitional settlement."

With the election discredited and attention turning to the possibility of negotiations, the role of Mugabe in any future government could be a sticking point.

Tsvangirai said in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph of Britain that Mugabe might be allowed to stay on as ceremonial president of a transitional government, with himself as executive prime minister.

"It's being considered within our structures," the paper quoted Tsvangirai as saying.

Mugabe, 84, was once hailed as a post-independence leader committed to development and reconciliation. But in recent years, he has been accused of ruining Zimbabwe's economy and holding onto power through fraud and intimidation.

The official inflation rate was put at 165,000 percent by the government in February, but independent estimates put the real figure closer to 4 million percent.

Since the first round of elections, shortages of basic goods have worsened, public services have come to virtual standstill, and power and water outages have continued daily.

[terrorislami]

Posted by drinuk at 04:28 AM : Jun 30, 2008

WRONGGGGGGGGGG commie,,,

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM IS THE PROBLEM,,,

DEMONIC-RAT HUSSEIN IS NOT THE SOLUTION,,,

[drinuk]

The real villains of this Genocide in Zimbabwe are the American Corporate Criminals who have allowed Mugabe to purchase Franchises and invest the "Peoples" money with them. The Hotel Companies, The Fast Food Joints and the Realtors.

If I and many others know who these companies are then Government must also know. Why are they Not acting and seizing these fraudulently obtain assets until such time that they may be handed back to the people of Zimbabwe who are the real owners.

Please ask yourself when booking into a Major Hotel chain or buying a burger, Am I putting money in Mugabe''s pocket. Ask and insist upon knowing who owns the Franchise.

Write to OBAMA insisting that exposes the Companies who have taken the food from the mouths of the Zimbabwe children. Lets see which side of the fence he sits upon.

[terrorislami]

YOU DO NOT WANT THE USA IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

BLAME THE DEMONIC-RATS

THE DEMONIC-RAT DOCTRINE,,,

On February 16, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said the "the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defense of the United States." On February 14, 1945, while returning from the Yalta Conference, Roosevelt met with King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia on the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal, the first time a U.S. president had visited the Persian Gulf region.

The Carter Doctrine was a policy proclaimed by President of the United States Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on 23 January 1980, which stated that the United States would use military force if necessary to defend its national interests in the Persian Gulf region. The doctrine was a response to the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union, and was intended to deter the Soviet Union%u2014the Cold War adversary of the United States%u2014from seeking hegemony in the Persian Gulf. After stating that Soviet troops in Afghanistan posed "a grave threat to the free movement of Middle East oil," Carter proclaimed:

Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force. (full speech)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Doctrine

[terrorislami]

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM IS THE PROBLEM,,,

DEMONIC-RAT HUSSEIN IS NOT THE SOLUTION,,,

[terrorislami]

TYPICAL AND PREDICTABLE,,,

typical and predictable,,, anytime you allow communist or fascist nazi terrorislam take over you will have a communist/terrorislam induced famine,,, it is happening in venezuela now,,, they also used to export food,,, now they too have to import food,,,

Zimbabwe suffers from an 80 percent unemployment rate and, according to the International Monetary Fund, an inflation rate exceeding 150,000 percent. Since 1994, the average life expectancy for women in Zimbabwe has fallen from 57 years to 34 years; among men it has dropped from 54 years to 37 years. Some 3,500 Zimbabweans die every week from the combined effects of HIV/AIDS, poverty, and malnutrition. Half a million Zimbabweans may have died since 2000, while some 3 million fled to South Africa alone.

A country that used to be called the %u201Cjewel%u201D and the %u201Cbreadbasket%u201D of Africa is now an Orwellian nightmare. With the economy in ruins and political freedom eviscerated, Zimbabwe%u2019s state-run media rail against a phantom international conspiracy consisting of Western powers and led by %u201Cliar%u201D George Bush, %u201Cgay%u201D Tony Blair, %u201Cuncle Tom%u201D Colin Powell, and %u201Ca slave to white masters%u201D Condoleezza Rice.
http://www.american.com/archive/2008/may-05-08/botswana-and-zimbabwe-a-tale-of-two-countries

[terrorislami]

FASCIST NAZI TERRORISLAM ON THE MARCH,,,

World Condemnation Of Zimbabwe MUSLIM THUGS Grows
As Opposition Leader Calls For Peacekeepers, World Leaders Lament "Sham" Elections

Mugabe%u2019s Muslim Thugs Raid Christian Offices

Well, let%u2019s see; Zimbabwe%u2019s Muslim President, Robert Mugabe, has %u201Ccured AIDS,%u201D expelled ALL gayys, and now is cracking down on Christians%u2026 I smell genocide in the air%u2026

Zimbabwe Police Raid Christian Offices
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Police raided Zimbabwe Christian Alliance offices on Monday and arrested five staff members for interrogation, the group reported.
Faced with the very real prospect of losing power, the 84-year-old Mugabe and his party the Zanu-PF party has resorted to violence, including an alleged plan to assassinate Tsvangirai and other key leaders of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Party.

Under Mugabe, Zimbabwe which was once dubbed the breadbasket of southern Africa, has spiraled into an economic meltdown that includes an unemployment rate of about 80 percent and inflation at more than 100,000 percent.
http://doctorbulldog.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/mugabes-muslim-thugs-raid-christian-offices/

[terrorislami]

MUGABE/HUSSEIN IN 08

hmmmmmmm fascist nazi terrorislam backs mugabe/mug-me/bug-me,,, and fascist nazi terrorislam back husein,,,

COULD THIS BE A WARNING???

Islamic terrorists back Mugabe

Zanu-PF plots with a South African outlaw group to bring more terror to the country.

Four members of the military junta now ruling Zimbabwe in Mugabe''s name are holding secret meetings with representatives of PAGAD, the notorious Islamic terrorist organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa.
http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk/2008/06/islamic-terrori.html

[terrorislami]

LEFT WINGNUT KOOL AID DRINKING BARKING MOONBATS LEAD THE CHORUS OF USEFUL IDIOTS,,,

"Zimbabwe: Leftists to blame for Robert Mugabe''s blood-letting"

"...So it is infuriating to hear some Leftists and liberals saying, through the teeth of their post-imperial guilt, that perhaps an armed intervention is the only way to rid the world of this brute. Had this been done years ago, when they took the opposite view, how many lives might have been saved? How many productive people, black and white, would have felt able to stay in Zimbabwe, rather than flee with their talents abroad? Would it still be a country with a life expectancy in the low thirties, something not heard of in Europe since the early Middle Ages? How proud does the Left, with its stupidly romantic notions of the inviolate nature of "black freedom fighters", feel about what it has so ably helped Mugabe achieve?"
http://crusader-rabbit.blogspot.com/2008/06/zimbabwe-leftists-to-blame-for-robert.html

[sistatee-2009]

Here, a hanging chad is a tiny piece of paper. In Zimbabwe, it''s a guy named Chad that voted against Mugabe.

[ausus-2009]

neobrian,

I was waiting from some idiot to drop an anti-Bush tirade into an issue that has nothing to do with him. You didn''t disappoint.

[jackie0428]

neobrian , I was just about to vote for Obama, but when I saw your insane post and realized the company I''d have to keep, I''m re-registering this week as a Republican.

[jackie0428]

Don''t worry liberals! I''m sure that Bono will get wind of this and he''ll do as much good for this crisis as he did for Darfur. Before you know it, all poor Africans will be free and living in the land of milk and honey and la la la hold hands Kumbiya. Yes, that''s the ticket.

[neobrian-2009]

W has FAILED Miserably At EVERYTHING But,
Stealing elections And Ruining Everything he touches!
He IS a 100 % COMPLETE MORON !
And He`s the World`s Biggest Criminal !
He`s worn Out three paper shredders using The US Constitution !This War of his has Driven up the Price of OIL,Building materials and EVERYTHING Else!
Thousands of innocent people have lost their lives because of the GOP Sect CRIMINAL GREED !
STOP THIS MADNESS !!! BAN the EVIL GOP SECT !
McSame is MORE of King W !
NO MORE GOP ! NO MORE GOP ! NO MORE GOP !!
Waterboard SHRUB ! Deadeye Dicck Too !
Send ALL RE-CONS Hunting With Dicck,..Give Him Plenty of Booze,..Cindy McHooters will Supply the Beer !If Any return Alive,Jail Them,in Insane A$$YSlums,Divvy up their Wealth,..providing Health Care For the remaining Sane voters, The Democrats!!
The Future of The Planet Depends on US !
UNDER NO circumstances, Do NOT Be Scared into voting for These Career, Criminally Insane GOP SECT Members ANY MORE !Friends NEVER let Friends Vote republiCon!

[rushlimpdrug]

Boy, this was a close race.

[oneworldusa]

Yeah, looks like we''ll have to take Bugaboo out and save the people too....

[jt_lancer]

Mugabe is a perfect example of how government management (or mismanagement) can destroy a country and impoverish the people.

Note how he used the election to legitimize his rule. Most tyrants will use the democratic process to justify their authority, even when it is discredited.

[jt_lancer]

Mugabe is a perfect example of how government management (or mismanagement) can destroy a country and impoverish the people.

Note how he used the election to legitimize his rule. Most tyrants will use the democratic process to justify their authority, even when it is discredited.

[sociald63]

shiittt - im cancelling my trip to zimbabwe

[terrorislami]

MUGABE/HUSSEIN IN 08

hmmmmmmm fascist nazi terrorislam backs mugabe/mug-me/bug-me,,, and fascist nazi terrorislam back husein,,,

COULD THIS BE A WARNING???

Islamic terrorists back Mugabe

Zanu-PF plots with a South African outlaw group to bring more terror to the country.

Four members of the military junta now ruling Zimbabwe in Mugabe''''s name are holding secret meetings with representatives of PAGAD, the notorious Islamic terrorist organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa.
http://www.zimbabwetoday.co.uk/2008/06/islamic-terrori.html

[longduck69]

Mugabe - Bush 2008!