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HARARE, Zimbabwe, April 1 - Nearly complete results in Zimbabwe's national parliamentary elections pointed today to a victory for President Robert G. Mugabe's long-ruling party and a drubbing for his political opposition, which had predicted a strong showing for itself.
The lopsided outcome cast new doubts on the strength and strategy of the democratic opposition, which lost elections in 2000 and 2002 that were widely condemned as fraudulent. Mr. Mugabe's opponents accused his party of fraud again today. Some called for mass protests against the Mugabe government, saying this week's vote proved that a fair election was currently impossible.
Mr. Mugabe's supporters said the nation's first peaceful election in five years showed that he rules not by force or the threat of it, but with overwhelming popular support.
With roughly three in four districts reporting, election analysts said the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front had captured 60 of the 120 seats at stake, and appeared poised to capture a two-thirds majority of the parliament, as Mr. Mugabe had hoped. That would further marginalize the opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, which had claimed only 33 seats. That would seem to strengthen Mr. Mugabe's hand as the nation confronts a long series of economic and social problems that critics contend are a direct result of disastrous government policies.
Amid claims of rigging by the opposition party, news reports today from the Zimbabwe capital city of Harare, say current President Robert Mugabe has again clinched a party victory in this round of national elections.

This national election bears similarity to the 2000 election when allegations that Mugabe's dominant political party, the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF), used its position in power to steal the election were widespread. Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), who after that election appealed to the nation's courts for justice, appears ready this time to take the argument to the street, possibly sparking violent protests and unrest. The leader urged, "Zimbabweans must defend their right to vote and they must defend their vote."

Past MDC street protests were met violently by Mugabe's regime, and the court system in Zimbabwe is seen as largely supportive of the Zanu-PF agenda.

The Zanu-PF took 55 of the 120 seats in the Zimbabwe Parliament. The MDC took 34 seats. The MDC had received strong support during pre-election rallies and had hoped to gain enough new seats to gain a legislative majority in the parliament. Mugabe, now 81, will appoint another 30 seats, which will ensure his party a majority.

Tsvangirai cites the area of Manyame located near the capital as an example of election rigging. Mugabe's nephew, Patrick Zhawao, the ruling party candidate was declared winner. On Thursday night election officials reported 14,812 votes were counted. Then early Friday morning, the total vote count was reported at 24,000, with Zhawao getting more than 15,000 of the vote.

The over-night voting count inconsistency led him to charge, "The government has fraudulently, once again, betrayed the people," he told reporters at a news briefing.