Browsing: Elections
Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was on Monday declared winner of Zambia’s presidential election, ending days of heightened political tension triggered by incumbent President Edgar Lungu’s claim that the vote was not free and fair.
The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) Saturday said despite reports of an unleveled playing field, pre poll violence and Covid-19 related challenges Zambia’s seventh general elections were conducted in a peaceful, transparent and professional manner.
Zambia’s opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema took an early lead against President Edgar Lungu as results from Thursday’s presidential poll started trickling in on Saturday.
Vote-counting has been underway since Thursday’s watershed general elections in Zambia where the main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema maintains that his United Party for National Development is poised for victory.
President Edgar Lungu called for calm on Thursday as he joined other Zambians to vote in the country’s seventh general elections since the advent of multi-party politics in 1991.
Voting kicked off on Thursday in Zambia’s eagerly awaited general elections seen as a two-horse race between the governing Patriotic Front (PF) and the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND).
The Zambian government has beefed up security as the country readies for a tightly contested general election set for Thursday.
The United States has issued a veiled threat to impose “visa restrictions, travel bans and financial sanctions” on any individuals and political leaders who will violate the rights of Zambians to freely exercise their rights to vote in general elections set for Thursday.
Former Sierra Leone president Ernest Koroma will lead the African Union election observation mission that will observe next week’s Zambian general elections, the continental body announced on Thursday.
President Edgar Lungu has deployed the army to quell political violence ahead of Zambia’s general elections set for August 12.