Zambia's parliament has rejected an opposition bid to impeach President Levy Mwanawasa over charges of corruption and misconduct.
"The motion was put to a vote on the government's requestand parliament members voted 92-57 against it. The voting was held on Wednesday night," a parliament spokesman told Reuters.
Mr Mwanawasa has begun the biggest anti-corruption drivesince Zambia's independence from Britain in 1964, leading to the prosecution of his predecessor, Mr Frederick Chiluba, and several former ministers and angering some within his ruling party.
"The allegations [of corruption and misconduct] were frivolous and baseless," Vice President Nevers Mumba told Reuters.
During parliamentary debate on Wednesday, oppositionlegislator Mr Dipak Patel - a Mwanawasa supporter recentlyappointed as trade and industry minister - said the motion was an act of "vindictiveness by the opposition".
Mr Sakwiba Sikota, a senior member of the opposition United Party for National Development that sponsored the motion, argued that the president was guilty of misconduct and it was the task of the parliamentarians to do the right thing - impeach Mr Mwanawasa and get Zambia back on track.
Analysts said the accusations had badly hurt Mr Mwanawasa, who was elected by a slim majority in December 2001 and has lost significant support within his own Movement for Multiparty Democracy party because of his anti-corruption campaign.
Zambia is also struggling with a deepening economic crisis that many critics blame on Mr Mwanawasa's mismanagement.