Zambia Waits For Election Results As Soldiers Patrol Streets, Internet Shut Down

Zambia waits for election results as soldiers patrol streets, internet shut down

Zambians are waiting for election results on Friday after a close contest for the presidency, which was marred by reports of skirmishes and an internet outage during the vote on Thursday.

iexclusive News Nigeria reports that this is the third time President Edgar Lungu, 64, has faced opposition challenger Hakainde Hichilema, 59, in a presidential election.

Zambia is counting votes after a tightly contested general election

While provisional results began to arrive on Friday, the final results are expected by Sunday, a significant improvement over the lengthy tabulation process following the 2016 election.

According to local monitors Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG), 96 percent of polling stations were up and running on time, and the majority of polling stations worked smoothly.

Because of the long lines, some people voted nine hours after the polls closed at 6 p.m.

While Zambia is known for its tranquility, there were many acts of violence on election day, including the murder of the Patriotic Front chairwoman for North-West Province, and the stabbing of a former Lusaka mayor, both of whom are members of Lungu’s party.

Lungu blamed the violence on Hichilema’s party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), but the UPND dismissed their remarks as a diversionary strategy.

After accusations that some people were carrying pre-marked voting papers in their backpacks, squabbles broke out at many polling sites.

According to the CCMG statement, “incidences of harassment or intimidation were reported at 2% of polling stations, while incidents of violence were reported at 3% of polling stations during voting and counting.”

The president bolstered troops for the election in three provinces, alleging that violence there “essentially rendered the elections… not free and fair.”

Lungu’s party has claimed to be the frontrunner.

On Friday, Hichilema posted a cheerful message to his fans on social media, stating, “Change is here.”

According to Netblocks, an international internet rights monitor, Zambians have been unable to access the internet since election day.

The country has been burdened by high living costs, which has dampened some voters’ excitement for Lungu previously.

Voters have taken notice of his attack on human rights and freedom of assembly.

Some fear that the results will lead to violence because the margin between the top two contenders is razor-thin.

The vote will be decided by the results in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital with a population of 3.3 million people, and the central Copperbelt Province, which has the world’s highest copper production.