Zambian Electoral Commission announced Sunday that Acting President Rupiah Banda won the Zambian presidential race over Michael Sata, his combative rival.
According to the chairwoman of Electoral Commission of Zambia, Florence Mumba, 718,359 (40.09 percent) votes were cast in favour of Rupiah Banda of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD).
Patriotic Front opposition leader, Michael Sata, followed with 683,150 votes (38.13 percent) giving a narrow victory to his rival.
Voter turnout out for the elections was 45 percent, with nearly 1.8 million ballots cast.
Although African and independent observers have declared the vote free and fair, Michael Sata has refused to accept the results, accusing the Electoral Commission of rigging while vowing to contest the results.
Sata’s refusal follows minor disturbances that broke out in the suburbs of the Zambian capital, Lusaka, as opposition supporters alleged electoral fraud shortly before the official announcement of the final result.
Banda, who became acting president after Levy Mwanawasa died of a stroke in August is now Zambia’s new president according to final results from all 150 constituencies.
