Zambian voters brave heavy rain as they stand in line waiting to cast their ballots at a polling station at the John Howard Compound, during presidential elections, on January 20, 2015. (AFP)
Lusaka:
Heavy rains on Tuesday held up the start of voting in parts of Zambia, where a close-fought presidential election was under way to replace Michael Sata, who died in office last year.
Election authorities said voting failed to take place in some remote parts of the country after downpours rendered them inaccessible.
"A number of polling stations will start tomorrow (Wednesday)," elections director Priscilla Isaacs said on Tuesday.
Material for more than 140 polling stations and some 1,500 polling officers were to have been airlifted to villages cut off by the rains Tuesday.
But not all materials and staff could be moved as "extreme thunderstorms" grounded the flights.
Voters in at least two dozen out of around 6,000 polling stations are expected to cast ballots today.
The delay in the delivery of polling material led a frontrunner in the vote, opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), to cry foul.
"Why are there no ballot papers in our strongholds? Someone is scheming around. It's fraud," Mr Hakainde told reporters after casting his ballot in Lusaka.
Fifty-two-year-old Hichilema is seen as the main challenger to Defence Minister Edgar Lungu, 58, who represents the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
Election authorities said voting failed to take place in some remote parts of the country after downpours rendered them inaccessible.
"A number of polling stations will start tomorrow (Wednesday)," elections director Priscilla Isaacs said on Tuesday.
Material for more than 140 polling stations and some 1,500 polling officers were to have been airlifted to villages cut off by the rains Tuesday.
But not all materials and staff could be moved as "extreme thunderstorms" grounded the flights.
Voters in at least two dozen out of around 6,000 polling stations are expected to cast ballots today.
The delay in the delivery of polling material led a frontrunner in the vote, opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), to cry foul.
"Why are there no ballot papers in our strongholds? Someone is scheming around. It's fraud," Mr Hakainde told reporters after casting his ballot in Lusaka.
Fifty-two-year-old Hichilema is seen as the main challenger to Defence Minister Edgar Lungu, 58, who represents the ruling Patriotic Front (PF).
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