Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested at least four electoral workers who allegedly tried to tamper with the count from last month's elections.
The suspects are accused of altering tally sheets from the July 30 vote while working at a Kinshasa vote-counting center.
Meanwhile, 15 minor presidential candidates issued a statement Friday denouncing the elections as fraudulent.
None of the candidates is among the front-runners in the vote. Early, regional results posted by Congo's Independent Electoral Commission show President Joseph Kabila leading his main rival, Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba, by 46 to 24 percent.
The U.N. mission in Congo has appealed for patience while a slow vote-counting process continues.
The elections for president and parliament were Congo's first multi-party elections in more than 40 years.
A preliminary nationwide count is expected by August 20, while final results are expected by August 31.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP.
