Zimbabwe opposition party wins post of parliament speaker

The Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, is deadlocked in talks with Mugabe's ZANU-PF party over who should control the government, and Mugabe reconvened parliament despite opposition complaints that such a move would "decapitate" the negotiations.

Frustrated by their country's economic collapse, voters stripped Mugabe of his parliamentary majority in March 29 elections for the first time since independence in 1980. But Mugabe was declared the winner in a presidential runoff in June that observers found to be undemocratic.

International aid agencies say that by January, 5 million people will need emergency food aid to avoid starvation. But Mugabe has banned international humanitarian agencies.

Monday's vote on the speaker was the first significant test of who will control parliament, analysts said, and the election of Lovemore Moyo was a blow to the regime.

Even though it lost its majority, ZANU-PF has been trying to tempt opposition members to defect by offering jobs and rewards, according to the opposition.

Police arrested two opposition members as they arrived at parliament and tried to seize a third, according to the MDC, which accused the ruling party of trying to rig the vote on the speaker's job. One of those taken was freed in time for the vote, but the other, Eliah Zembere, was being held Monday.

ZANU-PF did not field a candidate, but it was unable to unite with a breakaway faction of the MDC to elect that group's candidate.

Although the ballot was secret, it appeared that the 10 members of the breakaway MDC faction voted against their candidate rather than cooperate with ZANU-PF. The main faction, loyal to Morgan Tsvangirai, has 100 members of parliament, 99 of whom were present Monday. ZANU-PF has 99, and there is one independent. Moyo received 110 votes.

The vote underscores the problems Mugabe will have in passing laws and getting a budget through parliament.

"It's not just about the speaker, but [Mugabe] has lost control of parliament, which makes it very difficult to govern," said David Coltart, a senator representing the breakaway MDC faction. He believes this will force Mugabe back to the negotiating table.