Africa-Press. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second term, but the opposition leader achieved an unexpectedly strong performance, capitalizing on public discontent over ongoing economic difficulties despite some economic improvements.
Results published by the electoral commission indicated that Hichilema received about 60% of the valid votes, compared to 38% for his main rival, Brian Mundubile.
This was Hichilema’s seventh attempt to reach the presidency, and his victory was widely anticipated due to his status as the incumbent, while this was Mundubile’s first attempt at the presidency.
The 64-year-old Hichilema focused his campaign on his economic record since taking office during the debt crisis that erupted in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while Mundubile emphasized in his speeches to voters that improvements in macroeconomic indicators had made little difference in their daily lives. Zambia, rich in copper, has long been a battleground between China and the United States for its vital minerals.
On election night, authorities arrested 11 individuals, including prominent opposition figures, during a raid that involved gunfire, with Mundubile present. The following day, the electoral commission suspended vote counting for hours due to reports of violence against polling staff and ballot theft.
Mundubile stated that he received information regarding potential election result fraud at polling stations and called for an urgent independent investigation, while Hichilema’s camp denied the validity of this information.
Greg Musika, a Zambian affairs analyst at a consulting firm, indicated that it is unlikely the opposition will accept the results and may resort to legal challenges, although success is improbable. He added, “While local political violence is possible in the coming days, widespread unrest is not expected.”
