Sawt Falasteen - Zambia's Hichilema wins re-election with 60% of vote

The result was widely expected, with Hichilema -- in power since 2021 -- facing a crowded field of 13 challengers led by a former provincial minister, Brian Mundubile, making his first bid for the presidency.

Mundubile, 55, who entered the race in May, secured nearly 38 percent of the vote, Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said.

Five of the 226 constituencies had not been tallied, she said. However, "the outstanding results are not likely to materially influence the overall result of that election", she said.

The August 13 election in the copper-rich southern African nation was overshadowed by opposition allegations of fraud and an unprecedented nationwide suspension of vote tallying after attacks on election staff and the theft of marked ballot papers.

Ahead of the vote, opposition parties and civil society groups warned of a shrinking political space, citing restrictions on campaigning.

International and domestic observer missions said at the weekend that the conditions had contributed to an uneven playing field.

Tensions escalated after the vote when authorities arrested nearly a dozen people, including senior opposition figures, during a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire.

The government said those arrested were linked to militia or insurgent activity around the election, allegations denied by Mundubile's NRPUP party.

The election was widely seen as a referendum on Hichilema's first term during which Zambia's economy returned to growth after years of fiscal distress.

L.Hussein--SF-PST