Zambia's presidential race tightened on Saturday as President Levy Mwanawasa scored big wins in rural areas, but his populist rival Michael Sata maintained his lead and warned of "ghastly consequences" if poll fraud was detected, according to Reuters. Fresh results from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) showed Mwanawasa clinched landslide wins in central and eastern Zambia while Sata continued to score highly in the mineral-rich Copperbelt province, chairwoman Ireen Mambilima said. The ballot has pitted Sata's vows for a more equitable distribution of wealth against the economic policies of Mwanawasa, which have won international praise but left millions in poverty in the copper-rich country.
