Zambia counting down to Thursday's presidential, general elections

LUSAKA, Zambia

Zambia is less than 24 hours away from Thursday’s critical general election, the seventh since the country returned to multiparty politics three decades ago.

Participants were given up to 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday (1600GMT) to wind up campaigns for the poll, in which the president plus parliamentary and local government leaders are facing voters.

The frontrunners, incumbent Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front (PF) and Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), both addressed supporters in the capital Lusaka and expressed confidence that they would win.

Lungu visited several markets in the city to give out masks, urging the public to observe COVID-19 safety measures as they cast their ballots.

Hichilema urged election authorities to handle the poll fairly, claiming that his several previous defeats were a result of electoral mismanagement.

Several opinion polls say Lungu is likely to win the poll with more than 50% of total votes cast, as the constitution requires.

Ex-Zambian leader Rupiah Banda remained tight-lipped on his preferred candidate but urged all voters to turn out and peacefully exercise their democratic right.

Banda lost power to Michael Sata, Lungu’s predecessor, in a general election a decade ago.

Simon Miti, Lungu’s principal private secretary and government head of the civil service, said there are enough security measures in place to ensure a peaceful vote.Lungu declared Thursday and Friday non-working days to enable the electoral process to be completed uninterrupted.

Election officials say they anticipate full official results to be ready 72 hours after the close of the last polling station at the earliest.

Zambia has a little over 7 million eligible voters and there are 16 presidential hopefuls, including running mates who would automatically be elected vice president if their political party wins the vote.

Representatives for 156 constituencies will also face the vote, with 116 districts set to elect council office bearers.