Zambia’s electoral commission has suspended the counting of votes from Thursday’s presidential and parliamentary elections over alleged attacks on polling staff.
The authority said the process would be halted with immediate effect nationwide, citing concerns over reports of violence that resulted in the theft of marked ballot papers from ballot boxes.
President Hakainde Hichilema, seeking a second five‑year term, faces Brian Mundubile, the main opposition candidate among 13 challengers, as a two‑horse race on the ballot paper.
Poling day, which drew more than eight million registered voters, was largely peaceful, with queues reported in many areas and only isolated delays; the contest is seen as a test of Zambia’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies.
Legal rules give the electoral commission until the end of Sunday to announce the outcome, but it will review the decision to suspend vote counting within the next 24 hours.
Voting witnessed a mixture of optimism and frustration: a young worker, Samuel Chitendwe, said he voted for Mundubile because he felt economic progress had stalled; a student, James Phiri, told Reuters he voted for Hichilema because he cared about the nation’s welfare.
Political tensions heightened by the unburied death of former president Edgar Lungu have added further strain, with claims from Amnesty International that the current administration restricts rights and freedoms.
The electoral outcome hinges on whether any candidate secures more than 50% of the vote; if not, a run‑off will be held within 37 days.
More details and updates are coming as the commission considers the suspension and international observers remain present in Lusaka.
