Zambia's Hichilema wins second presidential term
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 for a second five-year term, the country's election commission announced on Tuesday. The opposition candidate, Brian Mundubile, received 38% of the votes cast in the election held last Thursday, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia. Hichilema, who has held power since 2021, secured 61.4% of the 5 million votes cast.
The election commission chairperson, Mwangala Zaloumis, declared Hichilema the president-elect of the Republic of Zambia on the 18th of August, 2026. Of the 226 constituencies in Zambia, five were not yet tallied, but Zaloumis stated those results were unlikely to significantly impact the overall outcome. The opposition accused Hichilema's supporters of intimidation, arrests, violence, and irregularities, while Hichilema's backers denied these claims.
The election was largely peaceful, but authorities arrested 11 people, including opposition figures, in what the government called a raid against militia activity. The NRPUP party claimed the raid was an attack on Mundubile's life. The vote counting was initially suspended on Friday due to attacks on polling officials and theft of ballots, but resumed hours later under increased security.
International observer missions criticized the pause as a threat to the election's credibility and voter confidence. Hichilema, who is running for a seventh presidential term, took charge of Zambia during a pandemic-era debt crisis and economic downturn. He pledged to work for all citizens after his victory, acknowledging those who preferred the opposing candidates' ideas.
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