The 2021 Zambia elections kicked off on Thursday with millions of citizens heading to the polls to elect a new democratic administration.
2021 Zambia elections: What’s the latest?
From what’s been observed in images and videos shared online, it can be reasonably said that the Zambian presidential elections have been peaceful thus far.
Current incumbent President Edgar Lungu was one of the early birds who cast his vote at a poll station in south Lusaka, alongside his wife Esther.
#Zambia – EDGAR LUNGU VOTED
— FelipEscrutinio (@FEscrutinio) August 12, 2021
As soon as the voting started, the president and candidate for re-election, @EdgarCLungu, cast his vote in the south of #Lusaka, the capital, along with his wife. He claimed to expect a high turnout.#ZambiaDecides2021 #ZambiaDecides pic.twitter.com/5C9eqn5npA
Shortly after casting his vote, Lungu pleaded with citizens to not stir unrest at a crucial period in Zambia’s democracy.
“I hear some politicians that are asking people to hang around the polling centers that will just cause chaos. I’ve set the example, I’ve voted I’m going home to stay, listen to the radio, newspapers, television and wait for the results to be declared, that’s what a good citizen does. So please, don’t hang around polling stations this will just cause confusion, contention. The best thing to do is to cast your vote quickly, go home…“ he said.
How Zambia’s electoral process works
Zambia is on the cusp of a new frontier and Lungu will recognise the dangers that lie ahead in his bid to vie for a second term. According to statistics shared by the Electoral Commission of Zambia, this year’s elections saw a 104.5% increase in registered voters, compared to the 2016 presidential campaign.
With more than 54% of this year’s 7.023 million voters being 34 years old and younger, Lungu will appreciate the challenge brought on by his main opponent, 59-year-old Hakainde Hichilema.
For the most part, Zambia’s electoral process is similar to South Africa’s. Vote counting beings immediately after poll stations are closed. Votes deemed as valid are counted in the presence of accredited political party agents, monitors and observers.
Once all the checks and balances have been thoroughly ironed out, the presiding officer announces election results at the polling station, with a copy of the results posted on the wall outside the venue for the general public to see.
“Presidential results are announced at the National Results Centre by the Electoral Commission as they are received from constituencies. Once all Presidential results have been received from all constituencies, the Commission Chairperson, who is the Presidential Election Returning Officer, shall declare the Presidential candidate who receives more than 50 % of the valid votes cast during an election as President-elect. Where no presidential candidate receives more than 50% of the valid votes cast, a second ballot shall be held; within thirty seven (37) days of the initial ballot. Candidates with the highest and the second highest number of valid votes cast in the initial ballot will qualify to stand in the election. Candidates with equal number of valid votes in the initial ballot will be eligible to stand in the election. In this election, the Presidential candidate who obtains the majority of the valid votes cast shall be declared President-elect. After the election, full results are published in the media and on the Electoral Commission official website.”
Electoral Commission of Zambia, 2021
Who is favourite to win at the polls?
Lungu, leader of the Patriotic Front (PF), comes into this election as the unpopular candidate. His first term has been marred by accusations of malfeasance and failure to uplift a Southern African country from poverty.
According to a reported released by Amnesty International, under Lungu, corruption has rung loud with links to Chinese cronies, annual inflation has reached record highs at 25% and about 40% of Zambians to eat fewer or smaller meals.
While there are, in total, 16 candidates challenging Lungu at the 2021 Zambia elections, Hichilema, leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), appears as favourite to dethrone the PF.
An entrepreneur at heart, the 59-year-old has raised hope in bringing forth refreshed ideals on confronting economic and foreign policy challenges Zambia faces.
The leader’s presidential campaign, his sixth attempt at that, has been centred around resolving Zambia’s relationships with foreign lenders and destabilising the government’s control over key sectors like mining.
The entire continent will be locked in on Zambia in the days to come to observe the fairness of this crucial democratic process. Will Lungu drive a deeper wedge in Zambian society with a second term victory or will Hichilema usher the Southern African nation into a new frontier with refreshed ideas to uplift a young population of about 17 million out of a decades-long rut?
The election results which should start trickling in, in the days to come, will hold the answers to these defining questions.