Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been reelected for a second five-year term, the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced early Tuesday. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
According to the commission, Hichilema won outright in the first round, securing 61.4% of the 5 million votes cast. He received 2,965,326 votes, while his closest competitor, opposition leader Brian Mundubile, won 1,856,217 votes.
"I therefore declare, Hichilema Hakainde S, to be president-elect of the Republic of Zambia this 18th day of August, 2026," commission chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis said.
Hichilema's victory follows a closely watched election which saw vote counting suspended last Friday and then restarted hours later under heightened security after the commission said there had been attacks against some polling station officials and some ballot papers had been stolen.
The government also confirmed that several leading opposition figures were arrested on the night of the elections, with the police accusing them of posing a threat to state security.
Mundubile said his home was raided by the police in what he called an attack on his life.