Zambian president headed for victory as opposition arrests cloud vote

Thursday's election was largely peaceful, but the run-up was tainted by opposition claims of intimidation, arrests, violence and irregularities.(AFP) — Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema edged closer to securing a second term Monday as results came in from last week’s vote, which was marred by opposition arrests and a widely criticized suspension of vote counting.Hichilema, 64, is seeking a final five-year term, with the Aug. 13 election seen as a high-stakes referendum on his management of the economy as copper production booms.With more than two-thirds of the 226 constituencies counted, Hichilema had secured 62% of the vote, putting him on course for a first-round victory ahead of opposition leader Brian Mundubile, with 36%.Twelve other candidates shared less than 2% of the vote, with results from just 65 constituencies still to come. A candidate needs more than 50% to win outright or face a runoff.Thursday’s election was largely peaceful, but the run-up was tainted by opposition claims of intimidation, arrests, violence and irregularities.Mundubile, a 55-year-old former government minister who entered the race in May, alleged Monday — without providing evidence — that documents listing the results had been tampered with, which he said risked the “integrity” of the count.“There are also allegations that officials in Southern Province were pressured to modify figures, with some of the alleged communication said to have been made through local government structures,” he said in a video message posted on social media.Hours earlier, his NRPUP party angrily rejected government claims that its members were involved in militia or insurgent activity.That followed the government’s announcement late Sunday that police had arrested 11 people, including six opposition figures, in a raid targeting “militia activity.”“The individuals in issue were found in possession of high-grade military weapons, ammunition and other materials for use in armed insurrection,” the government said.The NRPUP said shots were fired during the raid, which took place at Mundubile’s home, and that a member of parliament was hit.The party “rejects with absolute disdain the spurious and entirely false claims made by the Zambian Government that the NRPUP, its leadership or its members have been involved in insurgency, militia activity or any related conduct whatsoever,” it said.Suspension, ‘stolen ballots’The electoral commission suspended vote counting for about six hours Friday following reports of violence against polling staff and the alleged theft of ballot papers.The count resumed after the commission announced that the “security threat” had been contained. It has not said whether the ballots were recovered.International observer missions, including the European Union, criticized the pause, saying it risked undermining the credibility of the process and voter confidence.They also warned in preliminary assessments over the weekend that restrictions on the opposition during the campaign period may have contributed to an uneven contest.The vote is seen as a test of Hichilema’s first five years in office, during which the economy has returned to growth.While he touts debt restructuring and lower inflation as key achievements, critics say the gains have yet to translate into better living standards for ordinary people.More than 70% of the country’s 22 million people live on less than $3 a day, according to the World Bank.Mundubile campaigned on a pledge to redirect the copper windfall to citizens.Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, has a long record of peaceful transfers of power through the ballot box, with every change of president since the return to multiparty politics in 1991 achieved through elections.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads