It took only 19 minutes between the announcement of the election results and Robert Mugabe’s arrival at State House to be sworn in for his sixth term as President of Zimbabwe. A 21-gun salute from cannon in place since Saturday morning and a fly-by of six Chinese-built MiG fighter jets greeted the octogenarian leader as he arrived before a crowd of dignitaries and journalists, triumphant from his landslide victory in the one-horse race.

Minutes later Mr Mugabe left to board an aircraft that will take him to the African Union summit in Egypt and into a growing international storm over how to respond to the theft of the election from under the noses of a bloodied opposition and powerless outside world.

Mr Mugabe was the only candidate after Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader, quit the race less than a week before the vote because of violence against his supporters.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that Mr Mugabe won 85.5 per cent of the vote against 9.27 per cent for Mr Tsvangirai, whose name still appeared on the ballot despite his withdrawal from the race. It was reported that 5.23 per cent of ballots were spoilt. The commission claimed a turnout of 42.3 per cent, similar to that of the first round in March.

Mr Tsvangirai, who sought sanctuary in the Dutch Embassy in Harare, was not at the ceremony. Nor was any African head of state.

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