Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has won a second term in office after securing around 60 percent of the votes in last week’s presidential election, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
Electoral commission chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said Hichilema’s closest challenger, former provincial minister Brian Mundubile, received nearly 38 percent of the vote.
Although results from five of the country’s 226 constituencies were still outstanding, the electoral commission said they were unlikely to change the overall outcome.
Hichilema, who first took office in 2021, faced 13 challengers in the August 13 election.
The election was, however, overshadowed by opposition allegations of electoral irregularities and concerns over restrictions on political campaigning. Observer groups also raised concerns about what they described as an uneven playing field.
Vote counting was temporarily suspended nationwide following reported attacks on election officials and the theft of marked ballot papers.
Tensions also increased after the election when authorities arrested several people, including senior opposition figures, during a security operation. The government alleged links to militia activity, while the accusations were rejected by Mundubile’s party.
The election was largely viewed as a referendum on Hichilema’s first term, during which Zambia’s economy returned to growth following years of financial difficulties.
