Hichilema Leads Zambian Presidential Vote with 58.87% After 135 Constituencies Counted

Zambia’s Electoral Commission announced on Sunday that President Hakainde Hichilema holds a clear lead in the presidential election, having secured 1,544,140 votes—58.87% of the total counted so far—after results from 135 of the country’s 226 constituencies were tallied.

Threshold for First-Round Victory

A candidate must receive more than 50% of valid votes to win outright in the first round; otherwise, the top two contenders advance to a runoff. With over half the constituencies reporting and Hichilema exceeding that threshold, he is on course to secure a second consecutive term without a second ballot.

His nearest rival, Brian Mundubeli, received 1,030,662 votes. Mundubeli, aged 55, is one of 14 presidential candidates contesting the election. He declared victory in the first round hours before the Electoral Commission suspended vote tabulation on Friday.

Vote Count Suspension and Regional Concerns

The Electoral Commission paused vote counting for approximately six hours on Friday following reports of violence targeting polling station staff and allegations of ballot paper theft. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) observer mission warned that the suspension generated “uncertainty and anxiety” among stakeholders.

Despite largely peaceful voting on Thursday, the pre-election period was marked by opposition allegations of intimidation, arrests, and abductions. The European Union observer mission urged all parties on Saturday to tone down inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the final results announcement scheduled for Monday.

Political Climate and Electoral Conditions

Opposition parties and civil society groups have cited a narrowing political space under Hichilema’s administration, including restrictions on electoral campaigning. The European Union stated those restrictions “contributed to creating unequal conditions” during the voting process.

Hichilema won the 2021 presidential election on his sixth attempt, defeating his long-standing rival Edgar Lungu by a decisive margin. This year’s vote is widely viewed as a referendum on his first term, which saw Zambia’s economy return to growth—though critics argue that improvement has yet to translate into higher living standards for ordinary households.

According to the World Bank, more than 70% of Zambia’s 22 million people live on less than $3 per day, despite the country’s substantial mineral wealth.