Zambia Suspends Presidential Vote Counting After Violence

Zambia’s Electoral Commission has suspended the counting of votes following reports of violence against election officials and the theft of marked ballot papers after Thursday’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

Chief Electoral Officer Brown Kasaro said on Friday that polling staff had been targeted in acts of violence and that, in some cases, marked ballot papers were stolen from ballot boxes.

The commission said it would review the suspension within 24 hours. It remained unclear whether the decision would delay the announcement of presidential results, which had been expected on Monday.

President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term, while opposition leader Brian Mundubile is contesting the presidency for the first time. No official results had been released by the electoral commission, although preliminary counts had emerged from some constituencies.

Mundubile claimed his party’s tabulation showed that he had won the election but provided no evidence to support the claim. He called for the immediate release and verification of the results.

Hichilema urged supporters to remain peaceful and patient while electoral authorities completed the process, saying he had received “encouraging results”.

Zambia’s multi-party elections have generally been peaceful, although isolated incidents of violence have occurred during previous polls. Civil society organisations and opposition parties had also raised concerns about alleged restrictions on opposition campaigns and growing repression ahead of the election, allegations rejected by the government.

SOURCE: Reuters