Howls of Derision Echo Through Zim Parliament

Zimbabwe’s new Parliament got off to a stormy start on Tuesday as the opposition flexed its new-found political muscle by heckling President Robert Mugabe in the most hostile legislature the veteran leader has faced in 28 years. Angered that a power struggle remains unresolved over his refusal to cede executive power months after a flawed presidential poll, opposition MDC deputies roundly booed Mugabe during his speech. The barracking intensified when he declared that "landmark agreements have been concluded with every expectation that everybody will sign up". Opposition Movement for Democratic Change MPs abandoned plans to boycott the opening and flocked into Parliament to denounce the session as meaningless, saying it violated a deal signed in July ahead of now stalled power-sharing talks. Despite his 28-year grip on power, Mugabe faced an unfamiliar assembly, his Zanu-PF party outnumbered by the opposition for the first time since independence. Three MDC deputies were later ar...