Zambia’s Lungu re-elected as rival cries foul
LUSAKA: Zambia’s incumbent president Edgar Lungu was declared the winner of a closelyfought election on Monday but the victory was immediately challenged by his main rival.
Election commission chief Esau Chulu announced Lungu was “duly elected” after releasing the final results from Thursday’s election, which put the president ahead of his main rival Hakainde Hichilema by 2.5 percent or around 200,000 votes.
“We are going to take up this matter legally,” Jack Mwiimbu, legal specialist for the opposition United Par ty for Nat ional Development ( UPND) , told reporters after the results were announced.
“We have overwhelming evidence of manipulations in the figures.”
But the ruling Patriotic Front’s ( PF) secretary general Davis Chama, who popped several bottles of Champagne at the Mulungushi
We are going to take up this matter legally. Jack Mwiimbu, UPND legal specialist
International Conference Centre where the results were announced, laughed off allegations of vote rigging.
“Those are cry- babies who always complain each time there is an election. We have taught them a lesson and this is the end of the UPND,” said Chama.
Lungu’s supporters poured out into the streets sporting party paraphernalia to celebrate the win.
The weeks running up to the election were tense and clashes between PF and UPND supporters left at least three people dead. But election day was largely peaceful.
Lungu polled over 50.35 percent or 1.86 million votes against Hichilema’s 47.63 percent or 1.66 million, according to the results released four days after the vote.
Hichilema on Sunday charged that unexplained delays in releasing the results were a clear sign of fraud to produce a win for Lungu’s PF.
The electoral commission had initially said the results would be announced within 48 hours of the close of voting.
“Clearly this is rigging an election, with the col lusion of managers at the Electoral Commi s sion of Zambi a or commissioners,” said the wealthy businessman, who was making his fifth bid for the presidency.
The United National Independence Party (UNIP) which was set up by the southern African country’s founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, also said it would also challenge the results.
UNIP, which is now led by Kaunda’s son Tilyenji, performed dismally, taking seventh position in the nine party race. — AFP