Arrests delay Congo poll results

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The announcement of results from Democratic Republic of Congo's parliamentary polls has been delayed after the arrest of election workers.

Ten people have been detained for allegedly falsifying results, an electoral commission official said.

President Joseph Kabila's party has a commanding lead in the two-thirds of results declared from the July poll.

Mr Kabila and former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba are to contest a presidential run-off in October.

The elections were intended to be the first democratic polls in 40 years and to draw a line under a five-year civil war.

Correspondents say the capital, Kinshasa, was tense on Monday, when the results were announced.

Meanwhile, teachers have gone on strike demanding that the government respect a pay rise agreed two years ago. DR CONGO RESULTS BY PROVINCE PARLIAMENT: APM (Kabila): 169Renaco (Bemba): 47Seats declared 341/500 Source: AFPPRESIDENTIAL: Joseph Kabila: 45% Jean-Pierre Bemba: 20%Antoine Gizenga: 13%Turnout: 70% Source: CEI Those arrested over the alleged falsification of results are said to be supporters of the Congolese Rally for Democracy rebel group-turned political party.

The Alliance of the Presidential Majority, which backs Mr Kabila, gained 169 of the 341 parliamentary seats declared so far, reports the AFP news agency.

The Rally of Congolese Nationalists (Renaco), supporting Mr Bemba, is in second place with 47 seats.

However, Renaco's score is expected to increase as the areas still awaiting results are in the Lingala-speaking west, where Mr Bemba enjoys strong support.

The final results are now expected to be announced on Thursday.

Independent Electoral Commission spokesman Dieudonne Mirimo said the alleged poll fraud had affected results in the capital, Kinshasa.

"This will have no effect on the calendar for the presidential second round," he said.

The announcement of results from the presidential election saw clashes between the security forces loyal to Mr Kabila and those of former rebel leader Mr Bemba, in which 23 people were killed.

Some 17,000 UN peacekeepers, backed up by European Union forces are in DR Congo to ensure security.