Zambia’s presidential election results were delayed after the two leading parties complained about the process and joined the electoral commission in checking the ballots.
Campaign officials of both Edgar Lungu of the ruling Patriotic Front and the main opposition candidate, Hakainde Hichilema, began verifying the results with the electoral commision on Friday, commission spokesman Crispin Akufuna told reporters in Lusaka, the capital. Latest results showed Lungu with a 48.9 percent to 46.8 percent lead over Hichilema after ballots from 111 of 150 constituencies were tallied.
“There are issues that affect the integrity of the results and if they are not attended to they could create problems with the credibility of the results,” Hichilema said.
Lungu and Hichilema are competing to succeed Michael Sata who died in October, triggering the early polls. Whoever wins will lead the country until regularly scheduled presidential elections are held in September next year. Zambia is facing slumping copper prices that may hurt revenues for Africa’s second-biggest producer, while a standoff with mine operators over new taxes may also lead to job losses.
Voting began on Jan. 20 and was extended into a third day at some polling stations on Thursday, due to torrential rain. About a third of registered voters cast ballots in the constituencies counted so far, the commission said.
Davies Chama, secretary-general of the Patriotic Front, said both campaigns raised concerns with the commission over returns announced by the state-owned Zambia National Broadcasting Corp.
The kwacha advanced a third straight day, strengthening 0.5 percent to 6.3950 per dollar by 1:41 p.m. on Friday in Lusaka.
Bloomberg
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