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Zambian police warn political parties against early celebration

Xinhua, January 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Police in Zambia on Friday warned political parties that participated in Tuesday's presidential election against starting any early celebration as it could be a source of violence.

On Thursday, supporters of the opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) started celebrations in some districts in southern Zambia, the stronghold of the UPND, claiming their victory.

Police spokesperson Charity Munganga-Chanda said the police will not hesitate to arrest and charge people who start or engage in premature celebrations.

"The Zambian police is appealing to all people to remain calm and peaceful while waiting for the result of the elections," she said in a statement.

According to the results from 111 constituencies out of 150 announced so far, Edgar Lungu of the governing Patriotic Front has maintained his lead with 670,397 or 48.87 percent votes while Hichilema being the second with 641,343 votes or 46.75 percent.

The presidential election, which was held on Jan. 20, has lasted until Friday in some areas due to rain which made transporting of materials and staff difficult. Endi