Lusaka - Zambians went to the polls Thursday to elect a successor to deceased president Levy Mwanawasa in a tense contest between a government veteran promising stability and a charismatic populist. 

Although there are four candidates vying to replace Mwanawasa, who died in August after suffering a stroke, however, ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) candidate, acting president Rupiah Banda, and opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata are deemed to be the only serious contenders. 

Lusaka - Friday's celebration of Zambian independence took a back seat to campaigning in next week's presidential election, with acting president Rupiah Banda and opposition leader Michael Sata slugging it out to succeed recently deceased leader, Levy Mwanawasa, amid warnings of possible violence.

Zambia's army chaplain Colonel James Phiri used the occasion of the country's 44th anniversary of independence from Britain to appeal to the candidates to denounce violence ahead of the October 30 poll.

Lusaka/Johannesburg - Over 14 African heads of state, including Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, were expected to attend the funeral in Zambia Wednesday of late president Levy Mwanawasa.

Mwanawasa, dubbed Mr Integrity for his anti-corruption crusade and his outspokenness on Mugabe's authoritarian rule, died in a Paris hospital two weeks ago at the age of 59 of the effects of a massive stroke. He would have turned 60 on Wednesday.

Lusaka - The body of late Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa arrived back home from Paris Saturday in a gold coffin draped in a Zambian flag to a sombre ceremony at Lusaka International Airport.

The plane touched down in overcast conditions at 9 am (0800 GMT) to a 21-gun salute and a fly-past by Zambia Air Force jets.

The mood of sorrow that hung over his return contrasted with the joyful send-off he received when he left the country nearly two months ago for an African Union (AU) summit in Egypt.

Lusaka - The Zambian government announced Friday that the country's late president Levy Mwanawasa would be buried on September 3 after his body had been taken around the country for public viewing.

The date had been chosen to coincide with Mwanawasa's birthday, secretary to the cabinet Dr Joshua Kanganja said.

Mwanawasa would have turned 60 on September 30.

Mwanawasa's body is due to arrive back in the former British colony on Saturday from Paris, where he died on Tuesday after suffering a massive stroke in late June. His remains are to lie in state at Mulungushi International Conference Centre before being taken to all the country's nine provinces.

Johannesburg - Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa relapsed and was in need of medical intervention after suffering a stroke earlier this year, South African media reported Tuesday, citing a statement of the Zambian Vice-president Rupiah Banda.

"Doctor Mwanawasa had been making steady progress until last night when his condition suddenly changed and required intervention," Banda said late on Monday.

The 59-year-old president had suffered a second stroke while attending an African Union summit in Egypt in June and has been undergoing treatment in a military hospital since.