HARARE, April 1 (Xinhuanet) -- The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has won 31 of the first 44 seats that wereannounced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on Friday morning.

    Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), the southern African country's long ruling party, just got 13 seats.

    The constituencies, where the MDC win, are mainly urban constituencies, the party's strongholds.

    Especially in Bulawayo, the country's second largest city, the MDC won in all the seven constituencies.

    Of the 13 seats that the ruling party won, two of the seats, Mhondoro and Harare South were won by Sylvester Nguni and Nyanhongo Magadzire respectively, were snatched from the MDC.

    Zimbabwe held the sixth parliamentary elections Thursday. Though five political parties contested the poll, it is largely seen as a two-horse race between ZANU-PF and its main rival, the MDC.

    ZANU-PF has been ruling party since Zimbabwe attained politicalindependence on April 18, 1980 from former colonial ruler Britain.However, in last parliamentary elections held in 2000, the party just got a feeble majority with 62 seats. The MDC, a party launched just one year before that elections, won 57 seats.

    Zimbabwe's parliament, also called House of Assembly has 150 members: 120 elected for a five-year term in single-seat constituencies and 12 appointed members by president, eight governors and 10 elected chiefs.

    Results for the remaining constituencies will be announced as soon as they come in, said ZEC officials at the election command center. Enditem