Early election results show Zambian opposition leader ahead

LUSAKA – Early predetermination results successful Zambia amusement absorption person Hakainde Hichilema up successful a tight, tense contention portion the nationalist Electoral Commission has urged radical to hold for the last authoritative results to debar immoderate unrest.

The archetypal acceptable of results announced Saturday from 15 of the country’s 156 constituencies has Hichilema successful the pb with 171,604 votes to President Edgar Lungu’s 110,178. The committee said it volition update the results arsenic votes from the constituencies are tabulated and expects to denote the last results by Monday.

An overwhelming turnout, peculiarly by youthful Zambians who marque up a bulk of registered voters, saw agelong lines successful beforehand of polling stations connected predetermination day, Thursday. Many polling stations had to adjacent precocious to accommodate the voters, said the electoral commission, which noted that the ample turnout was unprecedented.

Sixteen candidates ran for president and immoderate of them person already conceded decision and congratulated Hichilema connected victory, citing results posted astatine polling centers wherever votes were counted.

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Hichilema’s United Party for National Development forecast that helium would win, besides based connected the results from polling centers. However, Lungu’s Patriotic Front claimed that the incumbent would win.

Votes successful Zambia are counted astatine polling centers and past posted for the nationalist to see. The results from the polling stations are sent to the nationalist predetermination halfway successful the capital, Lusaka, wherever the last results are announced.

Zambia's subject was connected the streets of the capital, Lusaka, and successful different parts of the state Saturday. President Edgar Lungu deployed the subject up of the predetermination saying it was to curb immoderate outbreaks of violence. He ordered much troops to beryllium deployed successful immoderate restive parts of the state aft determination were 2 killings connected predetermination day.

The absorption alleges the unit rollout is an intimidation maneuver by Lungu.

Zambia's newspapers showed the divide.

“HH gets it” and “HH takes lead” trumpeted the banner headlines of 2 privately owned newspapers, utilizing the initials of Hichilema's name, arsenic his supporters telephone him.

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In contrast, the state-run Zambia Daily Mail ran with the header “Lungu acceptable for victory-PF,” citing an authoritative of the ruling Patriotic Front party.

In the superior Lusaka, absorption to the aboriginal results was mostly muted arsenic radical went astir their regular greeting chores and others acceptable up marketplace stalls to merchantability unrecorded chickens, vegetables, and charcoal.

Others were seen pulling down Lungu’s posters that are plastered each implicit the city, which was being swept by dry, dusty winds Saturday.

Lungu won powerfulness successful 2015 successful a drawback predetermination aft the erstwhile president, Michael Sata, died successful office. Lungu narrowly defeated Hichilema, whom helium again bushed with a tiny borderline for a afloat word successful 2016. Hichilema alleged fraud successful some polls and has warned of rigging successful these elections.

Critics impeach Lungu of trying to reverse Zambia’s grounds of holding regular, credible elections and peaceful transfers of powerfulness since 1991 erstwhile the state returned to multi-party ideology aft being a one-party authorities for much than 2 decades.

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Lungu’s enactment connected Friday said it had written to the electoral commission, besides alleging the predetermination wasn’t escaped and fair, citing alleged unit by the opposition.

Both Lungu and Hichilema person expressed interest that the predetermination could effect successful post-election instability.

Nic Cheeseman, prof of authorities astatine the University of Birmingham, told The Associated Press that the results from the 15 constituencies showed turnout was 15% higher than successful the 2016 polls.

Cheeseman, who is successful Zambia to spot the elections, said the aboriginal results amusement a “big swing” successful favour of Hichilema’s UNDP party, which garnered 10% much of the ballot successful the 15 constituencies than successful 2016 and that the enactment had accrued its ballot stock successful 11 of the announced constituencies. He said the inclination is apt to proceed successful the bulk of results yet to beryllium announced.

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