Concern mounts over Zambia poll

Mr Mwanawasa regards protests as potentially treasonable

Zambia's main local monitoring organisation has expressed serious doubts about the conduct of general elections.

This has raised serious questions regarding the legitimacy and credibility of the election results

Election monitor Alfred Chanda

The ruling party's Levy Mwanawasa narrowly won the presidential election held on 27 December, but opposition parties have claimed that fraud and ballot rigging swayed the result.

The Foundation for Democratic Process (Fodep), which deployed monitors in every polling station, was unable to provide any specific evidence of wrongdoing.

But the organisation's head, Dr Alfred Chanda, admitted that some figures from their monitors did not tally with the electoral commission's official figures.

"The 2001 elections were not efficiently and successfully conducted. As a result this has raised serious questions regarding the legitimacy and credibility of the election results."

Their concerns echo comments from EU monitors, who announced they were investigating "a number of anomalies" surrounding the elections.

"There are a large number of discrepancies between the parliamentary and the presidential elections," said Michael Meadowcroft, the head of an EU delegation monitoring the elections.

Tough talk

Since being sworn into office on Wednesday, Mr Mwanawasa has been seeking to establish some distance from his predecessor, former president Frederick Chiluba.

Levy Mwanawasa

Ex-president Chiluba's choice to succeed him

Vice president 91-94

Christian and a trained lawyer

53 year old with five children

Poor health since bad road accident 10 years ago

At the ceremony, which was boycotted by the opposition, he vowed to make the fight against Aids a national priority.

Mr Mwanawasa said he would personally lead the campaign against the disease and work towards securing cheaper drugs. According to government figures, 200 Zambians die of Aids every day, and one in five has HIV, the virus that causes Aids, or has already developed the disease.

But the ceremony was boycotted by the 10 opposition parties, who are threatening to stage mass street protests.

Speaking to Reuters news agency later, Mr Mwanawasa said any such protests would be regarded as treason and punished by police.

"I am a lawfully elected president of Zambia and anyone seeking to disrupt that process of law is guilty of treason," he said.

Street riots

Mr Mwanawasa added that protestors could be prosecuted and, if convicted in court, the offence carried the death sentence.

"I leave it to the police. I have given instructions to the police to proceed the way they deem fit," he added.

Tensions were reported to be running high on Thursday, and further arrests were reported.

On Tuesday and Wednesday police and protestors clashed in the capital Lusaka and the cities of Kitwe and Ndola.

Mr Tembo says the fight will continue

At least 34 arrests were made and a dozen people were seriously injured, police said.

Mr Levy's inauguration as president on Wednesday was delayed for hours as a judge considered an opposition petition to stop it.

High Court Judge Peter Chitengi said that Zambia's constitution only allowed challenges to the presidential election 14 days after the winner had been named.

But he said that the opposition claims did have some merit.

Election discrepancies

Christon Tembo, who heads the Forum for Democracy and Development Party (FDD), vowed the opposition would continue with protests both on the streets and in the courts.

"We have been left with no choice but to mobilise our people throughout the country and intensify protests... until we bring sense to the new government which wants to install itself shamelessly," he said.

Mr Tembo, a former army commander, led last year's successful campaign to stop outgoing President Frederick Chiluba from changing the constitution and seeking a third term.