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Mugabe's party wins Zimbabwe senate presidency

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party has won the election for presidency of the upper house of parliament, the Senate, a parliamentary official said on Monday.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 16:20 August 25, 2008
  • Gulf News

Harare: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party has won the election for presidency of the upper house of parliament, the Senate, a parliamentary official said on Monday.

Clerk of parliament Austin Zvoma said Zanu-PF candidate Edna Madzongwe received 58 votes against 28 votes cast for a candidate from opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change.

Earlier on Monday, MDC won the vote for parliament speaker, while two opposition members of parliament were arrested ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

Zvoma said MDC's Lovemore Moyo won with 110 votes.

Moyo's victory and the arrest of the two MPs were seen as a blow to President Robert Mugabe in a post-election power struggle and a threat to talks by the opposition.

"Clearly they have chosen the path of arrogance, unilateralism that's a serious blow to confidence building in the talks," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa.

The opposition said its two MPs were arrested as they entered the parliamentary building and police also attempted to arrest another MDC MP but he was rescued by other parliamentarians.

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