145;Mugabe may be sworn in today146;

Tsvangirai8217;s name remained on ballot papers after electoral authorities refused to accept his decision to withdraw a week ago on the grounds of violence against his supporters. He has taken refuge in the Dutch embassy since then.

8220;The tallies are indicating that despite the wishes of our detractors and the propaganda of our enemies, the voter turnout was very big and that we are going to see a landslide victory,8221; said one of the officials, who declined to be identified. 8220;If the official results are released today as we are all hoping, the indications are the inauguration will be tomorrow,8221; he added.

A Sunday inauguration would be in time for Mugabe to attend an African Union summit in Egypt on Monday.

Witnesses and monitors reported a low turnout in many areas in Friday8217;s election, which was widely condemned after Tsvangirai withdrew, saying almost 90 of his supporters had been killed in systematic violence by Mugabe8217;s supporters.

They said voters in some places had been forced to vote for the President, who has held uninterrupted power for 28 years. Tsvangirai said millions of people stayed away from polling stations despite systematic intimidation.

The Movement for Democratic Change MDC won presidential and parliamentary elections on March 29, but Tsvangirai fell short of the majority needed for outright victory. The decision to go ahead with the poll brought unprecedented condemnation of Mugabe from inside and outside Africa and the vote was widely dismissed as illegitimate.

The UN Security Council unanimously expressed deep regret and said a free and fair vote had been impossible. Many Western leaders urged the AU summit to take action, saying the political turmoil and economic meltdown in Zimbabwe threatened regional security.

The MDC said it would lobby the summit leaders. 8220;The summit has to take a firm position on the transition we seek. It8217;s now a matter of peace and security. We hope the matter gets the urgent attention it deserves. We should not wait for rivers of blood and the complete breakdown of order,8221; MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.

Mugabe said before the vote he would confront his African critics at the summit.

Senior officials attending a preparatory meeting shied away from Western proposals for stronger international sanctions against Mugabe, saying a power-sharing deal should be encouraged.

AU mediation helped form a power-sharing Government in Kenya earlier this year, ending a crisis in which 1,500 died.

8220;I think we need to engage Zimbabwe. The route of sanctions may not be the helpful one,8221; Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said at the summit venue, Sharm el Sheikh.