LUSAKA—Zambians voted on Thursday in presidential, parliamentary and local elections, with incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema seeking a second five-year term as voters weighed his government's economic reforms against persistent pressure on living costs.
About 8.8 million voters were registered for the Aug. 13 general election, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), which said the country has 226 constituencies and 1,858 wards.
Hichilema, who won the presidency in 2021, is seeking another term after his administration oversaw debt restructuring and sought to attract investment, particularly into Zambia's copper industry. His main challenger is opposition politician Brian Mundubile, who has campaigned on reducing poverty and improving living standards.
The election is taking place as Zambia's economy shows signs of recovery while many households continue to face economic hardship. Reuters reported that economic growth and lower inflation have improved the macroeconomic picture, but high living costs remain a major concern for voters.
The campaign also featured accusations from opposition figures and rights groups that the government had restricted political freedoms and used state institutions against opponents. The government has denied allegations of political repression.
Zambia's election has attracted international attention because of its role as Africa's second-largest copper producer and the importance of its mineral resources to global supply chains. Both Western and Chinese investors have interests in the country's mining sector.
The ECZ said voting was scheduled from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday. Its procedures require votes to be counted at polling stations before results are taken to constituency totaling centres, where parliamentary and local results are declared and presidential results are announced before transmission to the national results centre.
Under Zambia's electoral rules, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of valid votes to be declared the winner. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the two leading candidates proceed to a second ballot within 37 days.
As of Friday, vote counting and collation were under way, with the ECZ's official timetable setting Aug. 17 as the date for declaration of the presidential election result.
