LUSAKA, Zambia – Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term after securing 60 per cent of the valid votes cast, the electoral commission has announced, in a victory that was widely expected.
His closest challenger, Brian Mundubile, got 38 per cent of the votes, while the remaining 12 candidates trailed far behind. Under Zambia’s electoral system, a candidate needs more than 50 per cent of the vote to win in the first round, avoiding a runoff.
The result came after a contested process, with 55-year-old Mundubile earlier claiming victory and alleging, without providing evidence, that there had been voting irregularities.
Hichilema’s victory speech
In a statement after being declared the winner, Hichilema, 64, said: “We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands.”
He said the election showed that Zambia was a nation of peace, law and order and a “democratic nation that settles our differences at the ballot box, and nowhere else”.
“To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you,” he added.
Celebrations and peaceful transition
Hundreds of Hichilema’s supporters, dressed in the red colours of his UPND party, flooded the streets of the capital, Lusaka, to celebrate after the results declaration.
Zambia has a record of peaceful transfers of power. Since the return to multiparty democracy in 1991, presidential transitions have occurred through the ballot box.
Opposition claims irregularities
It is unclear if the opposition will challenge the election result. Mundubile had earlier alleged there had been discrepancies between polling-station results and those officially announced and claimed military involvement at tallying centres.
The opposition candidate was accused by the government of plotting an insurrection, which he denied, with 11 people, including senior opposition figures, being arrested. Mundubile dismissed the accusations as a “fabrication”.
Electoral process concerns
A day after polling, the electoral commission briefly suspended counting and the announcement of results, citing reports of violence targeting polling staff and the theft of marked ballot papers in some areas. The suspension was lifted the same day.
Regional and international observers described the election day as largely peaceful and urged all sides to remain calm and respect the official process. They did, however, raise concerns about late electoral reforms, media freedom and access to the media in the run-up to the poll.
They also expressed concern over the brief suspension of the vote counting, saying it risked the credibility of the process as well as voter confidence. The European Union observation mission warned at the weekend that restrictions on the opposition in the campaigning period may have contributed to an “uneven contest”.
