Zimbabwe Opposition Wins Powerful Vote

WONG:
And in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe receives a blow to his power as an opposition party wins the parliamentary votes. It's the first time since the country's independence in 1980.

STORY:
Dramatic scenes in Harare as Zimbabwe's parliament votes for a speaker from the main opposition party - the Movement for Democratic Change.

[Austin Zvoma, Parliament Clerk]:
"The result of the count is that honorable Lovemore Moyo received 110 votes."

Victory by 12 votes - huge in political terms because the election of the MDC candidate relegates President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF to an opposition party for the first time since independence in 1980.

The parliamentary speaker is officially the fourth most powerful man in Zimbabwe.

Earlier, police arrested two opposition MPs outside the assembly in an apparent attempt to manipulate the vote - on knife edge - in Mugabe's favor. Attempts to detain a third MP - one of the principal MDC negotiators in the power-sharing talks - were foiled by colleagues who hustled him away.

The vote marked the first sitting of the assembly since it was first elected five months ago.

Power is still concentrated in the hands of President Mugabe but with the speaker an MDC man, it's a blow to the scope of his authority. And that's been the main sticking point in the stalled negotiations with Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC.

Category:

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[gutz33]

Thanks, been looking out for it, but couldn't find it up till now.

[JustUsIce]

It is on Youtube - under 'mugabe jeered and heckled' - shame is they have banned comments as it is under CNN.

[groundsman]

hey speaking of which, do you know if anyone might put that on YOUTUBE? I heard it was all shown on ZBC.. that would have been hilarious!!

[ChrisGS1982]

He is not just recieving funding from rogue nations, he's getting money from Barclay's Bank! I don't know why no major governments have condemned it.

[petahill]

Mugabe's politburo are still active in murder,

intimidation.

Mugabe is still blocking international aid to a starving country.

China is still supplying arms

to Mugabe and he is still receiving funding from rogue nations.

It will take more than MDC opposition in parliament to bring Mugabe and his cronies to justice.

[chigudo]

You zxanu pf dogs you are a rotten party contaminating all of us you are rotten like your mothers vagina which gave birth to such foul people, miaz blaz pamberi ne nyika pasi ne muroi

[JustUsIce]

Infiltration was the last ace up the sleeve of the MDC - thankfully it is working. Loved watching the foul old dictator being jeered right in his own snake pit!

[Plutonwolf]

Mugabe needs to go away, he is a foul caricature of a corrupt third world dictator. How long before he starts to emulate Idi Amin?