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A mock funeral service for the ruling Zimbabwean ZANU PF, party is held by opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) supporters in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Monday June 26 2000. As vote counting got underway after two day's of voting, the opposition were hoping for victory in the Bulawayo district in the most fiercely contested election in Zimbabwe's history. (AP Photo / Kim Ludbrook)

June 28, 2000

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - President Robert Mugabe's ruling party won a narrow majority Tuesday in Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections despite historic gains by the opposition and strong signs of discontent with its 20 years of rule.

With results announced in all 120 parliamentary districts, Mugabe's party captured 62 seats to 57 for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. A small independent party won one seat.

The closely contested race was unprecedented in a country where Mugabe and his party have ruled virtually unchallenged since independence from white-minority rule in 1980.

"We are on the path of change," said opposition leader Morgan Tvsangirai. "I believe there are enough (ruling party) members in parliament who believe there's a need to start on a new direction for the country."

"Anyone who believes the destiny of this country rests on Robert Mugabe must have his head examined," Tvsangirai said.

Though Mugabe was not on the weekend ballot, the strong opposition showing reflected broad dissatisfaction with him and his government, which has been unable to reverse the country's

worst-ever economic crisis.

Zimbabwe had one of Africa's strongest economies at independence. Today, it is wracked with high unemployment and soaring inflation, crippling fuel shortages and chronic shortages of hard currency.

Commercial farming, the most important sector of the economy, has been badly hurt by the takeover of hundreds of white-owned farms by armed black squatters.

The opposition can expect to have a strong voice - but little power - in the new parliament. Mugabe and his allies get to appoint 30 additional parliamentary seats. That means the president will be able to count on at least 92 votes in the 150-seat legislature, and should be able to pass legislation without difficulty.

Mugabe, 76, still has two years left in his term, and has said he will not include opposition figures in his Cabinet. However, Tvsangirai said he would challenge Mugabe for the presidential post in elections set for 2002.

The parliamentary election came after months of campaign-related violence and the farm takeovers. Opposition members said the takeovers were sanctioned by Mugabe's government in a bid to strengthen its support among landless blacks. Mugabe has vowed to seize at least 800 white-owned farms after the elections.

Zimbabwe's election officers and party agents, wait to start counting ballot papers in Harare, Monday, June 25, 2000, after the weekend's two-day Parliamentary Election. The most fiercely contested election in Zimbabwe's history was badly tainted by a pre-election campaign of political violence and threats and the election process so far could not be considered free and fair, international observers said Monday. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

When early results Monday night showed the opposition doing well, some MDC supporters drove through the streets of Harare honking their horns. They gave the open hand salute of the party and shouted the MDC slogan: "Change!"

But MDC officials also claimed the results showed that government intimidation worked in some rural areas. David Coltart, the MDC legal adviser and a successful candidate, said the opposition plans

to challenge some results in court.

"In many of these constituencies, they have only won through intimidation," Coltart said.

The opposition performed well in urban areas, as expected, but also won seats in Mugabe's rural strongholds in the weekend election.

Several high-level ruling party officials and Cabinet ministers lost their seats.

Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa was crushed nearly 2-to-1 in his rural district by an opponent who had fled the region and gone into hiding after being attacked by ruling party militants.

Mnangagwa has been considered a possible successor to Mugabe. Home Affairs Minister Dumiso Dabengwa received less than 4,000 of the more than 24,000 votes cast in his district in the southwestern city of Bulawayo.

The large turnout, estimated in excess of 3 million of the nation's 5.1 million registered voters, overwhelmed counting stations, leading to delays in confirming results.

International observers from the European Union said Monday the campaign was badly tainted by violence and could not be considered free and fair. At least 30 people were killed ahead of the vote, and thousands were beaten and threatened, mainly by ruling party militants.

Leaders in Mugabe's party "seemed to sanction the use of violence and intimidation against political opponents and contributed significantly to the climate of fear so evident during the election campaign," the EU said.

Opposition supporters also waged attacks, but they were far fewer, and their leaders were clear in their condemnation of the violence, observers said.