By Francis Maingaila
LUSAKA
Defense and Justice Minister Edgar Lungu of Zambia's ruling Patriotic Front (PF) is leading the country's presidential elections, according to partial official results.
According to results released by then Electoral Commission of Zambia, Lungu has won 15 out of the 17 constituencies counted so far, while his main rival, Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), has taken the remaining two.
Irene Mambilima, the commission chairperson, has since suspended the announcement of partial results until counting of votes in all 150 constituencies is completed.
Zambians went to the polls Tuesday to elect a new president following the death of President Michael Sata in a London hospital late last year.
Eleven presidential hopefuls, including Lungu and Hichilema, contested the race.
Some 5,166,088 Zambians were eligible to vote but the election commission put the voter turnout at 33.7 percent, blaming that on bad weather.
