Opposition's Mazoka Leads Zambia Presidential Poll

02/06/2001| IslamWeb

LUSAKA (Reuters) - Opposition leader Anderson Mazoka remained in the lead on Sunday after more than half the results were declared in Zambia's close-fought presidential election but joined other politicians in alleging vote-rigging.
The ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) led in parallel parliamentary elections but analysts forecast no party would win an overall majority, raising the prospect of the first coalition government since independence from Britain 37 years ago.
Latest results from the Electoral Commission for 82 of the 150 constituencies gave Mazoka, of the United Party for National Development (UPND), 310,471 votes against 295,055 for the MMD's Levy Mwanawasa, President Frederick Chiluba's chosen heir. The Commission rejected the vote-rigging allegations.
Zambians voted on Thursday to choose between 11 presidential candidates in the copper-mining state, which has high rates of poverty, unemployment and HIV/AIDS. Under Zambia's first-past-the-post system, the winner needs only one more vote than his closest rival.
On Saturday, Mazoka declared himself the winner and accused the government of trying to cheat him of victory.