HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will open the new parliament on Tuesday, despite opposition warnings that this would jeopardise power-sharing talks following controversial polls.

"Members are advised that the official opening of the first session of the 7th parliament by his excellency (Mugabe) will take place on Tuesday, 26 August," parliamentary clerk Austin Zvoma told journalists on Wednesday.

Zvoma said members of both the upper and lower houses would then elect their respective speakers and heads.

Earlier Wednesday, Zimbabwe's main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) said it had not consented to the reconvening of parliament, claiming it could endanger talks to resolve the country's political crisis.

MDC secretary general Tendai Biti said this should have been agreed by both sides, according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on July 21 in Harare with the ruling ZANU-PF party, which paved the way for talks on a unity government.

Mugabe's party suffered a historic defeat in legislative elections in March.

The veteran leader came second in a March presidential poll but was re-elected in a June controversial one-man run-off boycotted by MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai who cited a wave of attacks on his supporters.

"In the present case, the MDC has not consented to the convening of the parliament," the opposition party's secretary generalBiti said in a statement.

"Any decision to convene parliament will be a clear repudiation of the MoU, and an indication beyond reasonable doubt of ZANU-PF's unwillingness to continue to be part of the talks," he said

Zvoma said that if any MPs failed to come for the swearing in on Monday, it was their choice.

"It is their choice provided they will not participate in parliament business (chosing of the speaker and the deputy speaker) before they have taken the oath of loyalty," he stated.

"If there any members who do not attend, that is their choice."

The formation of the cabinet is expected to follow the inauguration of the parliament.

Tsvangirai's MDC won 100 seats in the March 29 elections, while Mugabe'sd ZANU-PF got 99 and the smaller MDC faction of Arthur Mutambara clinched 10.

The ruling ZANU-PF and the MDC factions are in the power-sharing talks medaited by South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki said the talks were adjourned last week Tuesday.

According to Mbeki's spokesman Wednesday, talks would resume in "due course".