Banda has vowed to continue the late president's economic policies [AFP]

Sata lost the October 30 poll to Rupiah Banda, and has said that the election was a "fraud".

"I know that [my colleagues] are currently in court filing a petition. I am now working on some more documents which we will submit to the court next week," said Winter Kabimba, a lawyer for Sata's Patriotic Front (PF) party, on Friday.

"We are actually going for a vote recount which must be done by way of a petition."

Zambia has been one of the most politically stable nations in Africa. However, a prolonged election dispute and anti-government riots has caused fears of a political crisis in the southern African country.

Banda is due to hold a news conference on Friday at 1230 GMT and is expected to announce a cabinet reshuffle and outline economic policies.

Protests 'banned'

A police official has said that a permit for PF supporters for a protest scheduled for Saturday was cancelled.
  
On Thursday, Zambian police had arrested 38 people after violent protests over the arrest of a priest and radio presenter in Kitwe, the country's second-biggest city, a police spokesman said.

Levy Mwanawasa, the former presidnet, died in August, two years into his second five-year presidential term.

Mwanawasa was praised for his conservative economic management and anti-corruption campaign.

Banda had vowed to continue his policies, which kept growth at an average five per cent per year since 2002.

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