By David Fox
Harare - The Zimbabwe opposition group formed less than a year ago mounted a serious challenge on Tuesday to the ruling Zanu-PF party, trailing it by just three parliamentary seats with 10 left to count.
The Movement for Democratic Change, formed nine months ago, had won 48 of the 100 seats declared by 1.30am against the ruling party's 51. The tiny Zanu-Ndonga party had won one seat.
Zimbabwe's opposition has never won more than three seats in the 20 years since independence during which the Zanu-PF of President Robert Mugabe has ruled virtually unchallenged.
Zanu-PF had predicted the MDC could win no more than 10 seats nationwide and analysts said any other result would be a severe slap in the face for Mugabe.
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But even if it wins the last 10 seats, the MDC has no chance of holding a parliamentary majority because Mugabe, as president, can personally appoint a further 30 MPs to complete the 150-seat house.
Analysts said the MDC's first target was 51 seats, which would rob Mugabe of the two-thirds majority enabling him to modify the constitution, as he did earlier this year to enable him to seize hundreds of white-owned farms.
However, the MDC would have needed 76 to control parliament and 101 to block legislation by Mugabe's government and force the former guerrilla leader to put his job on the line before his term expires in 2002.
On Sunday, Zanu-PF national chairperson John Nkomo said Mugabe would not include a single member of the opposition in his cabinet - a privilege accorded to him under the constitution.
Many of the MDC victories were expected, particularly in the traditionally anti-government region of Matabeleland, home of the Ndebele people who have felt excluded from Mugabe's Shona-dominated government, and also in most urban areas.
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