Mazoka leads Zambian presidential race

Zambian opposition leader Anderson Mazoka remained in the lead yesterday in presidential polling, but an opposition front rejected the results, raising the spectre of a chaotic end to the closest race in 37 years.

Results from 74 of 150 constituencies give Mazoka 274,380 votes against 265,919 for the ruling party's Levy Mwanawasa, President Frederick Chiluba's chosen heir.

But Chiluba's MMD party has rejected Mazoka's call to admit defeat, and an opposition front that includes Mazoka has cited large-scale irregularities across Zambia and warned of chaos should the MMD declare victory.

Final results will be declared on Wednesday.