Zambia's electoral commission suspended vote counting in the presidential election on Friday after reports of attacks on polling officials and the theft of some ballot papers, according to infohub.kz.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia said it was suspending the counting immediately "in view of the security situation and continued threats of violence." The commission said it would review the decision within 24 hours.
In the election in the copper-rich southern African country, President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term. He faces 13 other candidates, including Brian Mundubile, leader of an opposition alliance, who is seen as Hichilema's strongest challenger.
Zambia has held largely peaceful elections, but ahead of the vote, the opposition and independent rights groups criticized Hichilema, accusing his government of clamping down on dissent. Mundubile's alliance accused the government of being behind a raid on its offices by law enforcement agencies days before the election, saying the action was designed to hurt its campaign.