Hakainde Hichilema wins majority vote and become new Zambian president

In the early hours of Monday, the Election Commission of Zambia declared opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema the winner in the August 12 presidential election.

Mr Hichilema, 59, defeated incumbent President Edgar Lungu, 64.

In a TV show broadcast on the YouTube video-sharing platform, the commission chairman announced the final results after days of sharing each constituency’s tally.

Mr. Hichilema received 2,810,757 of the votes cast, while Mr. Lungu, the outgoing president, obtained 1,814,201 votes, said the head of the electoral commission.

“I therefore declare Mr. Hichilema the elected president of Zambia, this August 16, 2021”, announced the chairman of the electoral commission, around 2:30 am local time.

Last Thursday’s election was also an opportunity for voters to choose their members of parliament and elected officials of local assemblies.

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Five times an unsuccessful candidate, Mr. Hichilema had already challenged President Lungu on two occasions: first in a special election in 2015, following the unexpected death of Michael Sata, then president. The following year, President Lungu imposed himself again, winning a full five-year term.