Zimbabwe swears in new legislature


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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Zimbabwe's largest ever parliament was sworn into a new five-year term to be dominated by President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party after disputed elections in July.

The new 270-seat parliament starts sitting Sept. 10.

Under a new constitution adopted in March, the legislature was expanded from 210 seats by adding 60 women members elected under a gender-sensitive proportional representation provision.

Mugabe's party holds 196 seats, the main opposition, the Movement for Democratic Change, 70 and two went to independent candidates and two to a small opposition group.

Mugabe's party elected unopposed its choice for Speaker, a former provincial governor. The opposition, claiming widespread rigging in the July 31 polls, boycotted the Speaker vote.

Three lawmakers were not at the ceremony and will take their oaths later.

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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