Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

Hichilema secures second term after tense Zambia election

Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema was re-elected with about 60 percent of the vote.
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema was re-elected with about 60 percent of the vote. © Anita Reed/AP

Zambia's electoral commission has announced that Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected president after a race that critics said was tightly managed by his government.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced early Tuesday that Hichilema won re-election with around 60 percent of votes cast on 13 August.

His closest challenger, Brian Mundubile, a former provincial minister, won nearly 38 percent of the vote, Electoral Commission chair Mwangala Zaloumis said.

Mundubile capitalised on public frustration over lingering hardships despite the country's economic growth during Hichilema's first term in office.

Outstanding results

Five of the country's 226 constituencies had not been tallied, though Zaloumis said: "The outstanding results are not likely to materially influence the overall result of that election."

Vote counting was suspended last week after 11 people were arrested, including leading opposition figures, on the night of the election in a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire while Mundubile was present.

The election, which was seen as a referendum on Hichilema's first term, was overshadowed by opposition allegations of fraud.

Opposition parties and civil society groups accused the ruling party of shrinking the political space.

International and domestic observer missions said at the weekend that those conditions had contributed to an uneven playing field.

(with newswires)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.