Zambian opposition leader to challenge election result in ⁠court

Zambia opposition leader to challenge Hichilema election victory in court | Elections News | Al Jazeera Skip linksSkip to Contentplay Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfrica.

Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNews|ElectionsZambia opposition leader to challenge Hichilema election victory in courtMundubile claims his campaign documented ‘serious irregularities’ around the vote that handed President Hakainde Hichilema a second term.

list 1 of 4Zambia’s president extends election lead as contested vote count continues.

list 2 of 4Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema wins second term.

list 3 of 4Hichilema wins second term as president of copper-rich Zambia.

list 4 of 4Hichilema re-elected as Zambia president amid opposition concerns over vote.

While last week’s vote was largely peaceful, the opposition said intimidation and restrictions marred its campaign, concerns echoed by international election observers.

The election commission declared Hichilema the winner with about 60 percent of ⁠votes in the early morning ⁠Tuesday, compared with 38 percent for Mundubile.

After a relatively quiet run-up to the August 13 election in the nation of 22 million people, tensions escalated rapidly after ⁠the polls closed.

The authorities ⁠arrested 11 people, including leading opposition figures in a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire while Mundubile was present.

The ‌electoral commission also suspended vote-counting for hours due to reports of violence against polling staff ‌and ballot paper theft.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Wednesday that he was concerned over the arrest of the opposition officials.

All arrests “must be fully consistent with international human rights standards, as well as Zambian domestic law”, Turk said in a statement.

Hichilema entered the race as the clear favourite after steering Zambia through a major economic turnaround and restructuring its debt.

But his first term was also marked by concerns over Zambia’s political space, with opposition parties and civil society groups accusing his government of curbing dissent.

The incumbent leader’s second term will be shaped by demands for stronger accountability, national unity and broader benefits from economic growth.

Hichilema is due to be sworn in within seven days of the commission publishing the official results, due by August 24, but the planned challenge by the opposition could delay the process.