Lovemore Moyo AP PHOTO

Zimbabwe's main opposition party has won the top job as Speaker of the Lower House in the first Parliament since independence that President Robert Mugabe has not controlled — a surprise victory for democracy that could be a bargaining chip in deadlocked power-sharing talks.

The election Aug. 25 of Lovemore Moyo of the Movement for Democratic Change brought cheers from the opposition and legislators broke into an electoral song declaring "ZANU-PF is finished!"

Moyo won the top position in Parliament by 110 votes to 98. Distribution of votes in the secret ballot showed he apparently got votes from both Mugabe's party and the splinter opposition faction.