Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second five-year term after securing 60 percent of the vote, according to the country’s electoral commission.
Hichilema’s victory had been widely anticipated, with his closest challenger, Brian Mundubile of the National Reform and Unity Party (NRPUP), receiving 38 percent of the votes. The other 12 candidates trailed far behind.
Mundubile, 55, has rejected the outcome and vowed to challenge the results in court, saying his party had gathered evidence of voting irregularities.
The opposition candidate also went into hiding following what his party described as threats against him. The NRPUP confirmed that Mundubile was staying at a secure location under the protection of an international human rights organisation.
Local media reported that Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, had sought refuge at a UN facility in Lusaka amid fears of arrest.
The development followed the arrest of several prominent opposition figures during a security raid on Friday. Authorities accused those arrested of plotting an insurrection, allegations Mundubile dismissed as fabricated.
In a statement, Mundubile said the election results did not represent “a true reflection of what took place across this election”.
“We have evidence. We have records. We have documented what we could as events unfolded,” he said, adding that his party would present the evidence to the appropriate legal institutions and pursue all available legal avenues.
Hichilema, 64, thanked voters after being declared the winner, saying he was humbled by the confidence placed in his administration.
He said the election demonstrated that Zambia remained a peaceful and democratic country where political differences were settled through the ballot box.
“To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you,” he said.
Hundreds of supporters of Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND), dressed in the party’s red colours, took to the streets of Lusaka to celebrate his victory.
Zambia has maintained a record of peaceful transfers of power since the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1991, with successive presidential transitions taking place through elections.
Mundubile, however, rejected government allegations linking his party or its associates to any insurgency or threat to national security.
“We reject those allegations absolutely. Our campaign was built on two words: hope and peace,” he said.
He also urged his supporters to remain calm and avoid retaliation.
“I ask every supporter of our party… to remain calm. Do not allow anger to destroy what we have built,” he said.
Mundubile further alleged that armed security personnel raided his home in Lusaka, firing shots after entering the property. He said former minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot in his presence and remained missing.
“A man was shot. That man is now missing. His family deserves answers. Zambia deserves answers,” he said.
Mundubile had earlier told the BBC that armed personnel used an armoured vehicle to break through the gate of his residence before damaging doors and windows and opening fire.
He denied government claims that high-grade military weapons and a militia were being kept at the property.
Mulambo Haimbe, Hichilema’s election agent and a senior UPND official, disputed Mundubile’s account, saying criminal charges were being prepared against those arrested.
Haimbe said any dispute over the election results would be resolved through the courts if the opposition proceeded with a legal challenge.
The electoral commission had briefly suspended the counting and announcement of results a day after voting, citing reports of violence against polling officials and the theft of marked ballot papers in some areas. The suspension was lifted later the same day.
Regional and international observers described polling day as largely peaceful but raised concerns about electoral reforms, media freedom and opposition access to the media during the campaign.
Samuel Tembenu, a former Malawian minister who led the Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer mission, said observers had recorded unverified reports of intimidation, assault, abduction and property damage in five provinces.
Observers also expressed concern that the temporary suspension of the vote count could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
The European Union observation mission similarly warned that restrictions imposed on opposition parties during the campaign may have contributed to an “uneven contest”.
Despite the concerns, Hichilema’s re-election preserves Zambia’s tradition of electoral transfers of power, while Mundubile’s planned legal challenge is expected to put the credibility of the results before the courts.
