By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Zambia’s President maintained early lead over his challenger, with nearly half of electoral constituencies counted so far, the electoral commission said on Sunday, moving closer to extending his rule over the copper-rich southern African nation for a second term.
Hakainde Hichilema won 1,056,812 votes in 105 of the country’s 226 constituencies announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia on Sunday.
His closest rival, opposition leader Brian Mundubile, garnered 830,841, it said. Voter turnout was 55.5%, well below the roughly 70% in the last general election.
The presidential vote, held alongside parliamentary and local elections on Thursday is seen as a test of whether Hichilema’s economic gains since a pandemic-era debt crisis are enough to win him a second term.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia temporarily halted vote counting on Friday, citing violence against officials and the theft of ballot papers.
Zambia’s police have denied a report by opposition leader Mundubile’s camp that he was arrested and detained.
If no presidential candidate gets at least 50%, a second-round vote will take place within 37 days of the initial poll.
