Ruling Party Candidate Takes Early Lead in Vote

Ruling party candidate Levy Mwanawasa took an early lead while the opposition cried foul over the trickle of results from Zambia’s presidential election.

With 50% of the vote counted in five of the country’s nine provinces, Mwanawasa of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy had a slight lead over businessman Anderson Mazoka of the United Party for National Development.

Citing delays in vote counting, local election observers and the opposition accused the MMD of attempting to rig the election. About 80% of 2.6 million registered voters cast ballots in the southern African nation.