Zambia opposition edges ahead

Anderson Mazoka: Warning to electoral commission

Zambian opposition leader Anderson Mazoka has a narrow lead over the ruling party candidate at the halfway stage in counting votes cast in the country's presidential election.

Mr Mazoka has declared himself the winner and called on Levy Mwanawasa of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy to concede.

Earlier Mr Mazoka alleged the government was delaying the count to defraud him of victory, a charge rejected by the authorities.

The wealthy businessman said European Union observers monitoring the election had given him 36% of the vote in contrast to his main rival ruling party candidate Levy Mwanawasa's 23%.

He also warned of "chaos in this country" if the Electoral Commission failed to confirm the result.

I will not accept an election fraud and the people of Zambia will not accept it.

Anderson Mazoka

Commission Chairman Bobby Bwalya rejected charges of vote rigging, telling Reuters news agency: "It is not possible to rig this election. This is a figment of their fertile imagination."

Government spokesman Vernon Mwaanga said it was "inconceivable" that anyone should claim victory at this stage.

Confusion

Latest results from the Electoral Commission for 82 of 150 constituencies gave Mr Mazoka, of the United Party for National Development (UPND), 310,471 votes against 295,055 votes for Mr Mwanawasa.

Mr Mwanawasa is current President Frederick Chiluba's chosen heir.

The MMD's Mr Mwanawasa is current President Frederick Chiluba's chosen political heir

Of the other presidential candidates Christon Tembo of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) is in third place with 145,245 votes, and Godfrey Miyanda of the Heritage Party is some 35,000 votes behind him.

Political parties in Zambia had earlier expressed concern and frustration at the authorities' failure to release official results from the elections.

The vote count has taken so long that the swearing-in of a new president, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed until Wednesday.

Votes were also cast in parliamentary and local elections.

Delayed by turnout

An unexpectedly high turnout took local and foreign observers by surprise.

Zambia's elections

11 presidential candidates

150 elected parliamentary seats

2.6m registered voters out of 11m population

Voting from 6am (0400GMT) extended after original 6pm (1600 GMT) deadline

Observers: The Commonwealth, European Union, Organisation of African Unity, Southern Africa Development Community, US Carter Center

Preliminary results due by Saturday

The BBC's Barnaby Phillips in Lusaka says the electoral commission's painstaking methods, which were intended to show voters there has been no foul play, are instead arousing concern.

Some polling stations in the capital Lusaka and the northern Copperbelt region remained open until Friday morning.

At some stations, voting had been delayed for more than eight hours because of the late delivery of ballot papers.

Poverty and mismanagement

Eleven candidates ran for the presidency - and voters were also electing a new parliament and local government representatives.

President Frederick Chiluba, of the MMD, is standing down after serving the maximum two terms.

The MMD, which has been in power for a decade, is widely blamed for corruption and the economic hardships facing most Zambians.

Correspondents say that whoever wins, Zambians will be desperately hoping they can revive the economic fortunes of this potentially rich country.