Zambian president surges ahead in vote count

LUSAKA – Rioting broke out yesterday in the Zambian capital after President Levy Mwanawasa surged ahead in presidential elections and his principal rival slipped into third place.

The official Electoral Commission said that Mwanawasa captured 39 per cent of the votes counted so far, ahead of United Democratic Alliance leader Hichilema Haikande with 30 per cent, and Michael Sata – who had been seen as the main rival – with 28 per cent. Hundreds of riot police fired tear gas to try to disperse an angry crowd of Sata supporters who mobbed the main vote-counting centre in Lusaka, a Sata stronghold.Witnesses said many supporters were bundled into police trucks.There no immediate reports of casualties and no reports of any trouble in other parts of the city or country.The mood soured after partial results announced yesterday indicated that Sata’s early lead of 20 percentage points had been wiped out by Mwanawasa’s gains.Hundreds of his supporters ran up and down the highway by the polling centre, chanting slogans.Police said they deployed undercover officers and extra patrols, some in riot gear, at the teeming central Lusaka city market, two main bus stations and other potential trouble spots as tempers simmered over the slow release of polling results.”We have deployed both plain-clothes and uniformed officers.We don’t want to take any chances,” said police spokesman Bonny Kapeso.Electoral commission judge Irene Mambilima said votes had been counted in 94 districts across the country, with results still to be tallied from another 56 districts.Sata’s party demanded that the electoral commission investigate alleged irregularities, including thousands of reportedly missing ballot papers.However, foreign election observers generally commended the conduct of the election.Observers from the Southern African Development Community said the poll was generally held in what it called “a mature and professional manner.”Nonetheless, the European Union noted shortcomings that included insufficient legal provisions to regulate campaign spending by parties, omissions from voter lists and imperfections in voter registration procedures.Mwanawasa’s re-election bid was based on his economic achievements since his 2001 election.After years of liberalisation, Zambia’s economy grew by 5 per cent last year, and inflation – long in the high double digits – dropped below 10 per cent in recent months.Nampa-APHundreds of riot police fired tear gas to try to disperse an angry crowd of Sata supporters who mobbed the main vote-counting centre in Lusaka, a Sata stronghold.Witnesses said many supporters were bundled into police trucks.There no immediate reports of casualties and no reports of any trouble in other parts of the city or country.The mood soured after partial results announced yesterday indicated that Sata’s early lead of 20 percentage points had been wiped out by Mwanawasa’s gains.Hundreds of his supporters ran up and down the highway by the polling centre, chanting slogans.Police said they deployed undercover officers and extra patrols, some in riot gear, at the teeming central Lusaka city market, two main bus stations and other potential trouble spots as tempers simmered over the slow release of polling results.”We have deployed both plain-clothes and uniformed officers.We don’t want to take any chances,” said police spokesman Bonny Kapeso.Electoral commission judge Irene Mambilima said votes had been counted in 94 districts across the country, with results still to be tallied from another 56 districts.Sata’s party demanded that the electoral commission investigate alleged irregularities, including thousands of reportedly missing ballot papers.However, foreign election observers generally commended the conduct of the election.Observers from the Southern African Development Community said the poll was generally held in what it called “a mature and professional manner.”Nonetheless, the European Union noted shortcomings that included insufficient legal provisions to regulate campaign spending by parties, omissions from voter lists and imperfections in voter registration procedures.Mwanawasa’s re-election bid was based on his economic achievements since his 2001 election.After years of liberalisation, Zambia’s economy grew by 5 per cent last year, and inflation – long in the high double digits – dropped below 10 per cent in recent months.Nampa-AP