June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Robert Mugabe was sworn in as Zimbabwe's president for a sixth term after running as the sole candidate in an election condemned as a ``sham'' by the U.S. and U.K.

Mugabe, 84, won in all of the country's 10 provinces in the June 27 presidential runoff after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew, citing rising attacks against supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change party by the state. The ballot wasn't free and fair because of the violence and voter intimidation, an African observer team said today.

``It's very difficult to effect change in Zimbabwe when you have a government that has all the weapons and doesn't care about the welfare of its people, and an opposition that wants peaceful change in the country,'' said Marian Tupy, an Africa analyst at the Washington-based Cato Institute. ``Mugabe has managed to hang on to power in this way.''

Mugabe won 85.5 percent of the presidential runoff vote, against 9.3 percent cast for Tsvangirai, Chief Election Officer Lovemore Sekeramayi said in a telephone interview from Harare today. He didn't say how many of the ballots were spoilt.

Tsvangirai, 56, won more votes than Mugabe in the first round on March 29, without gaining the 50 percent needed to avoid a rerun, according to state-appointed electoral officials. The MDC gained majorities in most of the nation's city and district councils and forced the ruling Zimbabwe Africa National Union- Patriotic Front into a minority in parliament for the first time since 1980.

`Political Stalemate'

``There is going to be a political stalemate with the MDC having control of parliament,'' Tupy said. The international community should increase pressure on Mugabe's government by imposing an arms embargo and increasing sanctions against leaders of the Zanu-PF, he added.

African leaders meeting in Egypt tomorrow may push Mugabe to share power with the MDC to help ease the political crisis in the country. Jean Ping, chairman of the African Union Commission, said yesterday that Zimbabwe may be heading for a unity government.

``To ensure that there is legitimacy in Zimbabwe we would appreciate any kind of response from'' the Southern African Development Community, the African Union or the United Nations, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said in a telephone interview from Harare today.

Mugabe has said he will attend the African Union heads of state meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt tomorrow.

Willing to Share

Tsvangirai is willing to share power with Zanu-PF and has offered Mugabe the post of ceremonial president in a transitional government, the London-based Sunday Telegraph reported today, citing an interview with the opposition leader. Mugabe has also said he is ready to talk to the opposition.

Mugabe has ruled Zimbabwe since it gained independence from Britain, its former colonial ruler, in 1980. He has presided over 10 years of recession that has been exacerbated by his often- violent seizure of most of the country's white-owned farms. The policy spawned the world's highest inflation rate of at least 350,000 percent.

Mugabe said in his inauguration speech today that he was open to talks with the MDC. ``Indeed it is my hope that sooner rather than later, we shall as diverse political parties hold consultations towards such serious dialogue as to minimize our differences and enhance the area of unity and cooperation,'' Mugabe said.

Call for Embargo

South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has led mediation talks between Zimbabwe's government and the MDC, was praised today by Mugabe for his ``untiring efforts to promote harmony and peace'' in the country.

Mbeki, who was selected by southern African leaders to act as mediator in Zimbabwe, has failed to condemn Mugabe for political violence in the country. Beyond trying to arrange negotiations and offering expressions of concern about the violence, Mbeki has done little to resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe.

Mahmoud Youssouf, foreign minister of Djibouti, speaking in Sharm el-Sheikh on the eve of the AU summit, played down the need for sanctions and intervention. ``No sanctions,'' he said. ``We don't need an intervention force,'' Youssouf said, but ``we need to help Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is at the edge of civil war.''

Canada is working with other members of the Group of Eight industrialized countries on common sanctions, Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson said in an e-mailed statement today, and in the meantime Canada will restrict the travel and work of Zimbabwe's senior officials and their families.

`Illegitimate and Illegal'

The actions of Mugabe's government during the campaign were ``illegitimate and illegal,'' Emerson said.

``Canada is working with its partners in the G8 and elsewhere to ensure a concerted international approach to dealing with the flagrant abuse of the democratic process in Zimbabwe,'' Emerson said. ``The current government of Zimbabwe is illegitimate in the eyes of the international community,'' he said.

U.S. President George W. Bush called on the United Nations yesterday to impose an international arms embargo on Zimbabwe and a travel ban on officials from Mugabe's regime. U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown told CNN today that African countries are no longer willing to support Mugabe.

``What has fundamentally changed is that many African leaders are no longer willing to accept a regime that is intimidating and threatening its own people and the opposition,'' Brown said. ``Countries around the world are willing to give financial aid to Zimbabwe if democracy is restored.''

`Shame to Africa'

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Mugabe is a ``shame to Africa'' and the African Union should send troops to the southern African nation to free its people, the Nairobi-based Sunday Nation reported today.

A group of 350 Zimbabwean organizations, identifying itself as the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, called for African leaders to prevent Mugabe from attending the AU summit in Egypt. ``Robert Mugabe should not be allowed to take his seat,'' the grouping said today in a statement distributed to reporters.

The group called for a special AU-appointed mediator to replace Mbeki and for an interim government to schedule new elections.

To contact the reporters on this story: Brian Latham in Durban via Johannesburg at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net; Nasreen Seria in Johannesburg at nseria@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 29, 2008 15:45 EDT