Zambia's Lungu Re-elected As Rival Cries Foul

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published August 16, 2016 | 11:27 AM

LUSAKA,(APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Augst,2016) - Zambia's incumbent president Edgar Lungu was declared the winner of a closely-fought 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 Party for National 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 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.