Zambia: Zambia's Hichilema Wins Second Presidential Term
[DW] Hakainde Hichilema won over 60% of the vote in the first round of Zambia's presidential election, which also saw authorities launch raids against leading opposition figures on election night.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected to serve another five-year term, the country's election commission declared early Tuesday. The incumbent secured 61.4% of the 5 million votes cast in the presidential race held last Thursday. His main opposition rival, Brian Mundubile, received 38% of the votes. Commission chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis announced the results, stating that Hichilema had been declared the president-elect of the Republic of Zambia on the 18th of August, 2026.
Despite opposition claims of irregularities, intimidation, violence, and arrests on election night, the voting process remained largely peaceful. Five constituencies were still pending, but the election commission suggested the results wouldn't significantly impact the overall outcome. The opposition alleged that the government's raid against militia activity on election night was politically motivated, with Mundubile's NRPUP party disputing the government's claims about militia activity.
The vote counting faced a six-hour suspension after reports of ballot theft, but restarted under increased security. Hichilema, who has been in power since 2021, won his seventh presidential bid, taking over a copper-rich nation grappling with post-pandemic economic challenges.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
