Mugabe declared winner of widely condemned poll

By Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was on Sunday declared landslide winner of a widely condemned election in which he was the only candidate and which African observers said was scarred by violence and intimidation.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew a week ago saying a systematic campaign of violence, which killed nearly 90 of his followers, made a free and fair vote impossible.

The ballot was held in defiance of much world opinion.

The electoral commission said Mugabe won 85.51 percent of the vote compared to 43.2 percent in elections in March won by Tsvangirai with 47.9 percent -- short of the absolute majority needed for a first round victory.

The commission said turnout was 42.37 percent, almost exactly the same as the March 29 vote.

The commission released the result of Friday's vote in less than 48 hours, compared to five weeks for the March poll.

"I therefore declare Robert Gabriel Mugabe to be the duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe," said chief elections officer Lovemore Sekeramai.

Mugabe, 84 and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, was due to be sworn in for a new five-year term shortly in a ceremony at State House.