Zimbabwe's leading opposition party has won the majority of seats in key urban council elections ahead of President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, according to results released yesterday by the opposition and state radio.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) won 134 out of the 238 seats as well as six of the mayoral election races in the weekend polls, while Zanu-PF took just one mayoral post, according to the results.

But as of late yesterday authorities in the southern African country had not issued the official final tally of results.

The MDC, which has posed the greatest political threat to President Mugabe's uninterrupted 23-year rule, also won one of the two parliamentary by-election seats in the capital, according to state media.

The party won a majority of the seats in key cities and towns across the country.

"Despite the apathy and other mishaps like violence and intimidation, generally we did very well under the circumstances," said MDC election director Remus Makuwaza.

The ruling Zanu-PF said the poll outcome showed the existence of "democracy" in the country.

"What is really significant ... is the fact that democracy is alive in Zimbabwe," Zanu-PF deputy spokesperson and Information Minister Jonathan Moyo told state television.

Washington yesterday offered the faintest of praise for the conduct of the elections, saying there had been "a degree of improvement" over previous polls but voicing concern over reports of violence, intimidation and vote buying by Mugabe's supporters.

"These local elections were relatively calm, albeit with a very low turnout," State Department spokesperson Richard Boucher said.

Information Minister Moyo conceded that the weekend elections were characterised by low turnout.

In one of the parliamentary by-elections, participation was as low as 11%.

He blamed his party leadership for not concentrating on the election campaigns as they were preoccupied by "succession policy".

Mugabe, 79, recently began encouraging his party to start debating his succession.

There were also reports of vote-buying, voter obstruction and lack of information on the electoral process.

An independent elections advocacy group, Zimbabwe Elections Support Network has called for the setting up of a new independent body to oversee future polls, rather than the government-appointed bodies that currently supervise elections.

The MDC has refused to accept Mugabe as the legitimately elected head of state, alleging widespread intimidation and irregularities in last year's presidential polls.

The latest election results leave the MDC in charge of ten of the 14 cities in the country, according to Makuwaza.

"We are in control of those cities which matter," he said.

However, the government still retains overall control of the cities and towns through its powerful local government minister, Ignatius Chombo, who has suspended the Harare city's MDC mayor over allegations of mismanaging the capital's affairs.

The MDC said the results of the elections were significant as they had seen the MDC take over some urban councils previously dominated by Zanu-PF.

The latest elections took place at a time of unprecedented economic and political crises in Zimbabwe.

Inflation is currently officially running at around 400%, while 75% of Zimbabweans live in poverty, according to internationally accepted definitions.

The country has recently seen unprecedented shortages of not only food and fuel, but also the cash with which to pay for them.

MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday called for negotiations with the governing party.

Although Zimbabweans had looked to the elections to change the country, he said, "we have since realised over the years that elections, and elections alone, do not always guarantee freedom and change".

Church leaders are behind recent efforts to get Zanu-PF and MDC back to the negotiating table after direct talks broke down last year. – Sapa-AFP.