Voting begins in key Zimbabwe by-election

HARARE, (AFP) — Voters in the central Zimbabwe town of Kadoma have begun voting in a two-day parliamentary by-election seen as a test of strength between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition, an electoral official said.

Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) is seeking to take the seat from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose lawmaker represented the mining and agricultural town until his death in August.

Thomas Bvuma, the head of the official Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) said polling stations opened Saturday as scheduled at 7:00 am (0500 GMT).

"Yes, it (voting) has started at 7:00 am," Bvuma told AFP via cellphone from Kadoma. He said queues, albeit short ones, had formed outside polling stations before the official starting time.

More than 45,000 people are registered to vote in the two-day poll, Bvuma added.

Campaigning in Kadoma ...