Zimbabwe opposition faction elects leader

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Feb 26 (Reuters) A faction of Zimbabwe's main opposition elected a South African-based former militant student leader as its head signalling a deepening split in the party led by Morgan Tsvangirai.

The rebel faction elected Arthur Mutambara and one of the faction's leader told a meeting of 3,000 delegates that Tsvangirai had been ''sacked'' as the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change.

The opposition MDC split last year after a group led by Tsvangirai's top lieutenants disagreed with his decree that the party boycott senate elections he said were aimed at entrenching President Robert Mugabe's power.

Reuters SK VP0422