Zambia’s incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema has secured a substantial lead in ongoing vote counting following the nation’s general election. With more than half of constituencies tallied by Sunday, Hichilema had captured nearly 59 percent of ballots cast, positioning him potentially to win outright without requiring a runoff round. His main opposition challenger, Brian Mundubile of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity, garnered approximately one-third of votes counted thus far. Final results are expected within several days.
The electoral process has been marked by significant irregularities and concerns from international observers. Vote counting was halted for approximately six hours on Friday following reports of violence targeting polling staff and allegations of ballot theft. Additionally, a polling agent was killed near the capital during election day, with nine individuals subsequently arrested. The European Union’s observer mission characterized the election environment as competitive yet favoring the sitting president, citing substantial bias in state media coverage.
Opposition parties have leveled serious allegations against authorities. The National Reconciliation Party claims armed personnel, potentially military members, raided its candidate’s residence on Friday night, injuring a member of parliament and abducting several individuals whose current status remains unknown. The party has called for international intervention to investigate the incident. Zambian government officials have not yet responded to these allegations. Despite these concerns, Zambia has maintained peaceful power transfers through elections since adopting multiparty democracy in 1991.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
About the Author
