Zambia's Hichilema leads presidential vote count with 54.82% of declared votes
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Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema led the presidential vote count on Sunday with 54.82% of declared votes, the Electoral Commission of Zambia said. Main challenger Brian Mundubile was second with 43%, with 105 of 226 constituencies declared by around 15:00 GMT, and Hichilema would avoid a runoff if he keeps an overall majority. The count had been temporarily halted on Friday over violence against officials and theft of ballot papers.
Key Facts
- Hakainde Hichilema had 1,056,812 declared votes, 54.82% of the total, by around 15:00 GMT on Sunday.
- Brian Mundubile stood second with 830,841 declared votes, 43% of the total.
- The Electoral Commission had declared results in 105 of Zambia's 226 constituencies by around 15:00 GMT.
- The Electoral Commission of Zambia temporarily halted counting on Friday, citing violence against officials and theft of ballot papers.
- Mundubile's opposition campaign alleged an armed raid, and observers cited violence and a tilted campaign field.
The Vote Count
Hakainde Hichilema had 54.82 percent, or 1,056,812 declared votes, by around 15:00 GMT on Sunday. Brian Mundubile stood second with 43 percent, or 830,841 declared votes. The Electoral Commission had announced results in 105 of the country's 226 constituencies. The presidential vote took place on Thursday, August 13, 2026, alongside parliamentary and local elections. If no candidate wins at least 50 percent, a second-round vote must be held within 37 days of the initial poll.
Opposition Claims and Security
Mundubile's opposition campaign alleged an armed raid, and observers cited violence and a tilted campaign field. Zambian police denied a report by Mundubile's campaign that he was arrested and detained. The Electoral Commission of Zambia temporarily halted counting on Friday, citing violence against officials and theft of ballot papers. Zambia is Africa's second-largest copper producer after the Democratic Republic of Congo. The vote is seen as a test of whether Hichilema's economic gains since a pandemic-era debt crisis are enough to win a second term.
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Zambia's Hichilema leads presidential vote count with 54.82% of declared votes
