Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been re-elected for a second term, according to the country's electoral commission, after a race marred by allegations of fraud.
The results announced by the electoral commission early Tuesday showed Hichilema receiving about 60% of valid votes, while his main rival Brian Mundubile secured only 38%.
This was Hichilema's seventh presidential run, and his victory was widely anticipated given the incumbent's advantage. Meanwhile, it was Mundubile's first bid for the nation's highest office.
After a relatively quiet campaign period before the August 13 voting day, tensions escalated rapidly.
On election night, authorities arrested 11 people, including leading opposition figures, during a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire. Mundubile was present at the scene at the time.
The following day, the electoral commission halted the vote counting for several hours due to reports of violence against polling staff and missing ballots.
Mundubile said he had received information suggesting that vote count forms from polling stations could be tampered with, and he called for an urgent independent investigation. Hichilema's camp dismissed these claims, saying Mundubile was lying.
