12 °c
London
Friday, May 27, 2022
No Result
View All Result
FurtherAfrica
  • Countries
    • Angola
    • Botswana
    • Cape Verde
    • DRC
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About
FurtherAfrica
  • Countries
    • Angola
    • Botswana
    • Cape Verde
    • DRC
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About
No Result
View All Result
FurtherAfrica
No Result
View All Result
Home Africa

Trailing after early count, Zambian president questions fairness of votes

Staff by Staff
August 15, 2021
in Africa, Elections, Government, Zambia
Reading Time: 3 mins read
806 16
0
Zambia’s Edgar Lungu faces tough re-election contest as debt crisis bites
Share via QRWhatsappShare on FacebookShare on TwitterLinkedInPinteresteMail

Zambian President Edgar Lungu, trailing after early results, said on Saturday the presidential and parliamentary election was “not free and fair” after incidents of violence in three provinces.

Lungu said the Patriotic Front party that he leads was consulting on its next course of action.

Results from 31 of the country’s 156 constituencies from Thursday’s vote put businessman Hakainde Hichilema, who has criticised the president’s management of an economy in turmoil ahead of Lungu, who is running for a second five-year term.

Some constituencies include perceived Lungu strongholds, suggesting Hichilema has gained ground since the last elections in 2016, when he lost by a slim margin in a vote marred by allegations of rigging.

Hichilema’s United Party for National Development party said Lungu’s comments were the “desperate final act of an outgoing administration”. Lungu’s party said its vote tally showed a huge turnout in its strongholds and it was confident of victory.

The European Union’s election observer mission released a preliminary report in the capital Lusaka, describing the process as technically well-managed but “marred by unequal campaign conditions, restrictions on freedoms of assembly and movement, and abuse of incumbency”.

The statement from Lungu’s office said: “President Lungu says the general election in three provinces, namely, Southern province, North Western province, and Western Province, were characterised by violence, rendering the whole exercise a nullity.”

He said Patriotic Front polling agents were brutalised and chased from polling stations in those three provinces.

Citing the killing of a party chairman in North Western province during voting and the death of another man, Lungu said these criminal acts rendered the election “not free and fair”.

Also read: Zambia’s Edgar Lungu faces tough re-election contest as debt crisis bites

SOVEREIGN DEFAULT

Lungu brought in army reinforcements to help quell violence when the deaths occurred.

Lungu, 64, has been in power since 2015. Hichilema, known as “HH” had garnered 449,699 votes versus the 266,202 for Lungu in the early results – although with just 11% of the vote counted, the lead could change as the tallies come in.

An estimated 7 million people registered to vote in Africa’s second biggest copper producer.

Investors are closely watching the outcome of the election. The southern African country is highly indebted and suffered the continent’s first pandemic-era sovereign default in November. read more

International Monetary Fund (IMF) support, already broadly agreed, is on hold until after the vote.

The first results had initially been expected on Friday. They were delayed after counting went on overnight following a high turnout and because political parties objected to the electoral commission’s initial figures in one constituency, which differed with those from monitors on the ground.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia allowed the last polling station to remain open until 5 a.m. on Friday to give people who had queued for hours an opportunity to vote. The election also restrictions on internet access. read more

In Chawama township in Lusaka, Lungu’s parliamentary constituency before he became president, residents said supporters of both Lungu and Hichilema both claimed victory and celebrated throughout the night.

“The other side clearly know they have lost and are trying to throw out the entire election just to cling on to their jobs,” Hichilema’s spokesman said in a statement.

Following a complaint lodged by local human rights’ organisation, Chapter One Foundation, a high court on Friday overturned a decision by the government regulator to block social media platforms including WhatsApp, Facebook (FB.O) and Instagram.

Related

Via: Reuters
Tags: ElectionsPresident Edgar LunguTrailing after early countvotingZambiaZambian president questions fairness of votesзамбияزامبياザンビア赞比亚
ScanSendShare329Tweet206Share58Pin74Send
Staff

Staff

Related Posts

Africa’s creative digital economy
Development

Africa must digitalize to achieve the 4th industrial revolution

by FurtherAfrica
May 27, 2022
Weekend – Arise Africa and Succeed!
Culture

Reflecting on Africa Day – post colonialization achievements

by The Exchange
May 27, 2022
Energy

Mozambique gas to contribute to world energy transition – minister

by Club of Mozambique
May 27, 2022
Private Equity

Phatisa and DFIs co-invest in Lona Group

by Africa Global Funds
May 27, 2022
Venture Capital

Ghana CarePoint raised US$10M bridge investment

by TechGist Africa
May 27, 2022
Angola Oil & Gas 2022
 
AFSIC 2022
 
Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park
 
MozParks

Translate this page

Read the Latest

Africa’s creative digital economy
Development

Africa must digitalize to achieve the 4th industrial revolution

by FurtherAfrica
May 27, 2022
0

Africa must develop high computing capacity to achieve the 4th industrial revolution, said Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Associate Provost and Professor,...

Read more
Weekend – Arise Africa and Succeed!

Reflecting on Africa Day – post colonialization achievements

May 27, 2022

Mozambique gas to contribute to world energy transition – minister

May 27, 2022

Phatisa and DFIs co-invest in Lona Group

May 27, 2022

Ghana CarePoint raised US$10M bridge investment

May 27, 2022

FurtherAfrica Partners

The Exchange Club of Mozambique Taarifa Rwanda
TechGist Africa Africa Oil & Power Farmers Review Africa
Tanzania Invest Zambia Invest See Africa Today
Africa Global Funds Novafrica CrudeMix Africa
Harambee Africa Botswana unplugged Financial Insights Zambia
Digilogic Africa

Subscribe to FurtherAfrica

Enter your email address to receive new articles on your email.

Join 73,051 other subscribers.

FurtherAfrica

© 2021 FurtherMarkets

FurtherAfrica is a FurtherMarkets Limited platform

  • Countries
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Countries
    • Angola
    • Botswana
    • Cape Verde
    • DRC
    • Eswatini
    • Ethiopia
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Mauritius
    • Mozambique
    • Namibia
    • Nigeria
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
    • Zimbabwe
  • Interviews
  • Understanding
  • Videos
  • Travel
  • Weekend
  • About

© 2021 FurtherMarkets

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?