An economist picked by Malawi's outgoing President Bakili Mulizi as his successor and an opposition leader were in a neck-and-neck race in the presidential election in the southern African country, state radio said Friday.
Bingu wa Mutharika of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) was leading in the densely populated south but Gwanda Chakuamba of the Mgwirizano (Unity) Coalition was scoring well throughout the country, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Voters went to the polls on Thursday in the country's third multi-party polls in a decade to elect a successor to Muluzi, who is reluctantly stepping down after two terms.
Muluzi came to power after defeating self-proclaimed president-for-life Kamuzu Banda in the country's first multi-party polls in 1994. Banda ruled the impoverished country with an iron fist for three decades.
Muluzi unsuccessfully tried to change the constitution to allow him a third term in office but parliament rejected the motion.
Ballot counting began late Thursday after polls closed but official results have yet to be released.
"The two are scoring highly among the presidential candidates," said the radio report. The report said the three other opposition contenders were faring badly: John Tembo of the Malawi Congress party, Brown Mpinganjira of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and independent candidate Justin Malewezi.