(Adnkronos) – Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected with 60% of the votes cast in the elections on August 13, the electoral commission announced, officially closing a race that critics said was controlled by the government. Five of the 226 constituencies have not yet been counted, said President Mwangala Zaloumis, specifying that the missing results “are not likely to materially affect the overall outcome of those elections”.
The result was widely expected, with Hichilema, in power since 2021, facing a crowded field of 13 challengers. At their head was a former provincial minister, Brian Mundubile, who entered the race in May for his first presidential bid, and who obtained almost 38% of the votes in the election. However, the process was overshadowed by opposition fraud allegations and an unprecedented nationwide suspension of vote counting, following attacks on electoral staff and the theft of marked ballot papers.
Before the vote, some opposition forces and civil society groups had warned of a shrinking political space, citing campaign restrictions. International and national observation missions stated over the weekend that such conditions had contributed to creating an uneven playing field. Tensions rose after the vote, when authorities arrested several people, including prominent opposition figures, during a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire. The government stated that those arrested were linked to militia or insurgent activities connected to the elections, accusations denied by Mundubile’s Nrup party.
