The much-anticipated election is expected to be a tight contest between incumbent President Edgar Lungu of the Patriot Front (PF) party and Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND).
Advertisement
Zambia’s electoral commission has delayed announcing initial results of Thursday’s presidential vote, adding to anxieties after a sometimes violent campaign whose result is too close to call.
Earlier on Sunday, Hichilema blasted the national election commission for the slow progress in releasing results from this week’s closely-fought presidential vote. At an Electoral Commission press conference in Lusaka, electoral officials said this has been “countered by providing inkpads from older stock to polling stations”.
“The verification is taking longer than we had anticipated and, apart from that, the commission is now meeting political party presidents”, ECZ spokesman Cris Akufuna told reporters after the second deadline was missed.
Mr Hichilema’s tally rose to 47, 706 after President Edgar Lungu’s 41 572 after five more constituencies were announced. The other seven presidential candidates are far behind.
Lungu narrowly won a vote 20 months ago to fill the vacancy created by the death of president Michael Sata.
Hichilema was eventually allowed a meeting with electoral authorities, which lasted almost two hours.
“Escalating levels of violence may have a negative impact on the elections and reduce voter turnout”, the ZEIC said in a pre-election report on Wednesday.
PF spokesman Frank Bwalya dismissed Hichilema’s earlier visit to the vote-counting centre as a publicity stunt.
Chavula remains in police custody and the ECZ did not have an update when asked about the case.
“The Electoral Act requires that when an issue is raised by a candidate or a political party, the Commission is supposed to address that issue”.
The UPND has accused President Lungu of presiding over the “collapse” of the economy.
Hichilema on Friday alleged that authorities were colluding with Lungu’s party over the results.
“We’ve turned out to cast our votes in large numbers because that’s our right, to ensure that our future and that of our children is protected”, said Robinson Mwanza, 30, a construction worker who said he was backing Lungu.
Known as “HH”, Hichilema has major investments in ranching, property and healthcare in Zambia.
Advertisement
Supporters of the two main parties clashed over rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices after weak global prices hit exports of copper, the mainstay of the economy.
