Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has taken an early lead in the country’s presidential election, with nearly half of the constituencies declared, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia.
Hichilema had secured 54.82 per cent of the votes announced so far, representing 1,056,812 votes, putting him on course to retain the presidency without a run-off if he maintains an overall majority.
His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, was in second place with 830,841 votes, or 43 per cent, after results from 105 of the country’s 226 constituencies had been declared.
The presidential election, held alongside parliamentary and local polls on Thursday, is being closely watched as a test of Hichilema’s economic record following Zambia’s debt crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Hichilema is seeking a second term in office in the southern African country, one of the continent’s leading copper producers.
The vote-counting process was temporarily suspended on Friday after the electoral commission reported incidents of violence against officials and the theft of ballot papers.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s police denied reports from Mundubile’s camp that the opposition leader had been arrested and detained.
Under Zambia’s electoral rules, a candidate must secure at least 50 per cent of the vote to win outright. If no candidate reaches the threshold, a run-off election will be held within 37 days of the initial poll.
