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FACTBOX: Major parties in Zimbabwe elections

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Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:40am EDT

(Reuters) - Following is a factbox on the major parties contesting Zimbabwe's elections:

ZANU-PF

In power since independence from Britain in 1980.

Formed in 1964 during white minority rule, and one of two parties that led the struggle for independence.

Merged with Joshua Nkomo's PF-ZAPU in 1987 after a five-year political rebellion in ZAPU's Matabaleland and Midlands strongholds.

Robert Mugabe has led ZANU-PF for over 30 years.

ZANU-PF won 62 of the 120 contested seats in the last general parliamentary elections in 2000 which were marred by violence and rejected as fraudulent by the opposition.

Mugabe says ZANU-PF -- which had a two-thirds majority in the last parliament elected on March 31 2005 -- must win this year's polls overwhelmingly to shame its Western critics.

MOVEMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE (MDC)

Formed in 1999 and propelled by a wave of popular anger against Mugabe's policies.

Won nearly half of the contested seats in 2000.

The labor-backed MDC draws its support mostly from urban centers and the Matabeleland provinces.

Lost electoral ground in parliamentary elections in 2005 after years of a government crackdown.

It split into two factions in October 2005 following a bitter quarrel over political strategy and internal democracy.

Main MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai. He says his party is confident of victory, but fears government rigging.

The other MDC group is led by Arthur Mutambara.

INDEPENDENTS

Simba Makoni is a former finance minister and senior ruling party member standing against Mugabe for the presidency.

There are over 100 independents contesting the parliamentary elections.

Jonathan Moyo, Mugabe's former propaganda chief, will contest in his rural Tsholostsho constituency where he is trying to retain a seat he won against ZANU-PF in 2005.

Edgar Tekere, a former ZANU-PF secretary-general who broke from Mugabe over 20 years ago, is fighting for a seat in the Senate and is a leading Makoni supporter.

(Reporting by Cris Chinaka; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
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