Voting Gets Underway, With Long Lines Across The Country
Voting has begun in the country’s general elections, with long queues reported at polling stations across the country.
Initial estimates from monitoring agents suggest that the majority of polling stations opened on time, with 87% of monitors confirming that centres opened at 06:00.
President Lungu was among the first to cast his vote at the Andrew Mwenya polling station at Crawford school in Lusaka, alongside First Lady Esther Lungu.
UPND Alliance presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema is expected to cast his vote in the capital later today.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has promised to release the results of elections within 72 hours.
Long lines have been reported at polling stations across the country.
The presidential election looks set to be another close race between President Lungu and Hakainde Hichilema, with the president only narrowly beating his rival in 2016 by a margin of just 27,757 votes. Recent polling data suggests that the opposition leader has a slight lead but this will depend on a large turnout today.
The election comes at a critical time for the country and indeed the Southern Africa region. Zambia faces a darkening economic outlook, with rising youth unemployment and mounting foreign debts of over $12 billion.
In November 2020, the country defaulted on its Eurobond debts after failing to make a coupon payment - the only country in Africa to do so that year. The government has repeatedly tried to strike a bailout deal with the IMF but to little avail, with the Fund citing a failure to implement credible debt management plans prior to the election.
There are also serious concerns around the fairness of these elections, with leading academics suggesting that a victory for Edgar Lungu seems unlikely in a free vote. Political analyst Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa wrote in African Arguments that “In a fair election, Lungu can’t win”.
This was supported by claims from the Chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, who warned that “in a free and fair vote [Zambians] might very well reject President Lungu’s bid for re-election. But I fear they may not have that opportunity”.
With the army deployed to the ground all hopes are for a fair and peaceful election. HH has called on UPND supporters to “act in a way that ensures peaceful elections”, while former President Rupiah Banda has urged political parties to respect the choice of the electorate.
For now however, the nation holds its breath.
President Lungu cast his vote at Crawford School in Lusaka early this morning. HH is expected to vote in the capital later today.