Zambians went to the polls on Thursday to elect a president, members of parliament, and local government councillors, with roughly eight million registered voters eligible to participate in the one-day vote held across the southern African nation of 22 million people.
Zambians vote in presidential election pitting Hichilema against Mundubile
Zambians went to the polls on Thursday to elect a president, members of parliament, and local government councillors, with roughly eight million registered voters eligible to participate in the one-day vote held across the southern African nation of 22 million people.
Polling stations opened at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), according to the BBC, with queues forming in the capital Lusaka before opening. Results are expected on Monday, according to the Associated Press, citing the electoral commission.
Fourteen candidates are on the presidential ballot, though the contest is widely regarded as a two-horse race between incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, 64, and his main challenger Brian Mundubile, who leads an opposition alliance that draws support from backers of the late former President Edgar Lungu.
Mundubile is a former minister who served under the Patriotic Front government, which ruled from 2011 to 2021, according to the BBC.
Hichilema, who won the 2021 election, is seeking a second and final five-year term. He argues that he inherited an economy in crisis and has since overseen restructuring of Zambia's foreign debt, presided over economic growth, and courted investors. He has stated he needs another five years to create jobs, improve infrastructure, and expand public services.
Despite claims of economic progress, many voters say they do not feel the benefits. Unemployment, food prices, and an unstable electricity supply continue to strain household budgets, according to the AP.
Voters at polling stations expressed divided views. Mwiche Nalupumbwe, a 26-year-old who queued before stations opened, told AFP the election was 'a 50-50.' James Phiri, a 29-year-old University of Zambia student, told Reuters he voted for Hichilema, saying 'things are better after he re-introduced meal allowances.' Samuel Chitendwe, a 47-year-old welder and father of four, told Reuters he voted for Mundubile, saying: 'We are tired of stories about economic progress.'
The election is also being watched internationally because Zambia is a major copper producer. Hichilema has targeted annual copper production of three million metric tons by 2031. China is Zambia's largest foreign investor with extensive mining interests, while the United States has sought a greater role in securing critical mineral supplies, according to the AP.
Security and political tensions rose in the final days of the campaign. Police deployed additional officers and warned against violence and the circulation of false results, according to the AP. Opposition parties have accused the government of using state institutions to target political rivals, allegations the government rejects. The Tonse Alliance said a law enforcement raid on its offices shortly before the election was politically motivated, according to the AP.
Lungu's death in South Africa and a prolonged dispute between his family and Hichilema's government over his funeral and burial have heightened political divisions ahead of the vote. According to the BBC, Lungu's body remains unburied in South Africa.
Hichilema himself spent four months in jail on treason charges while serving as an opposition leader under Lungu, according to the AP.
A presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff, which the BBC reports must be held within 37 days if no candidate clears that threshold.
Zambia has been regarded as one of southern Africa's more stable democracies, with a history of largely peaceful transfers of power. Hichilema's 2021 victory marked the country's third transfer of power to an opposition candidate since multiparty democracy was restored in 1991, according to the AP.
- No source provides Brian Mundubile's direct statements or campaign positions beyond his role as the main challenger.
- The specific nature of the law enforcement raid on the Tonse Alliance offices has not been independently verified in any source.
- The precise status of negotiations between Lungu's family and the government over his burial is not detailed.
- No source specifies current unemployment figures or precise economic indicators for Zambia.
- The role and positions of the 12 other presidential candidates beyond Hichilema and Mundubile are not addressed.
- No source provides comment or reaction from China or the United States regarding the election outcome or copper production targets.
- BBC World — original — by Dingindaba Buyoya
- Associated Press — by Jacob Zimba
Read the original at BBC World