The August 2021 Elections | Zambia

by | Oct 5, 2021 | News | 0 comments

Political unrest, economic uncertainty, and potential shrinkage of democratic space all existed at the time of the 2021 General Elections. Pockets of violence, false information, and hate speech were present during the electoral process, mostly from PF and UPND political party officials and supporters. As a result of media closures, public opinion filtering, a lack of transparency, and restrictions on the ability of opposition political parties to organize and gather, pre-election activities were also characterized by a shrinking democratic space (also partly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions).

In addition to the political climate and the contracting democratic space, Zambia’s economic difficulties played a critical role in the UPND’s campaign rhetoric. Due to fluctuating copper prices, the effects of climate change, Zambia’s large debt load and unsustainable fiscal policies, high inflation, and poor management of public funds, the country’s economy has experienced a significant decline in recent years. The economic crisis was made worse by the COVID-19 epidemic, sending the nation’s economy into a tailspin. The promise of the UPND was built on economic reform to enhance the nation’s economic prospects, sustainably manage debt levels, provide employment, and cut commodity prices.

 

On election day, there were only a few isolated violent incidents in various sections of the nation, but overall the atmosphere was calm and peaceful. Out of an estimated 18 million Zambians, 7, 023, 499 were registered voters, 70.61 percent of whom casted their ballots. It’s possible that this was Zambia’s most populous election in recent memory. On election day, the nation’s Internet was shut down despite the lack of an official report; some claim this was done on purpose by the government to censor information and prevent the widespread dissemination of election results.

 

 

Photo credit: Salim Kaunda/Linkedin
After August 12th, when the public started to anticipate official results from all of the numerous constituencies across the nation, the atmosphere was marked by apprehension. The results of the presidential election received the greatest interest. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu claimed that the election was not free and fair because of electoral violence against polling agents of his political party, the PF, in three (3) provinces: the Southern, North-Western, and Western provinces. Opposition parties and observers, however, rejected the claims with opposition leader President Hakainde Hichilema leading by a significant margin with 40% of the votes that had been counted. As the votes were being counted, it was thought that President Lungu may refuse to concede defeat, resulting in Candidates from competing parties and other stakeholders urging President Lungu to accept the election results.
Vote Distribution
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Data Source: ECZ | Elections 2021
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After August 12th, when the public started to anticipate official results from all of the numerous constituencies across the nation, the atmosphere was marked by apprehension. The results of the presidential election received the greatest interest. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu claimed that the election was not free and fair because of electoral violence against polling agents of his political party, the PF, in three (3) provinces: the Southern, North-Western, and Western provinces. Opposition parties and observers, however, rejected the claims with opposition leader President Hakainde Hichilema leading by a significant margin with 40% of the votes that had been counted. As the votes were being counted, it was thought that President Lungu may refuse to concede defeat, resulting in Candidates from competing parties and other stakeholders urging President Lungu to accept the election results.

After a thorough review of all the results, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) finally announced the presidential results in the early hours of Sunday, August 15, 2021. After running in five (5) previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2016, Zambian businessman, farmer, and politician Hakainde Hichilema won the 2021 presidential election with more than 59 percent of the vote. By a margin of 981, 568 votes, he was named the election’s victor, defeating his main opponent Edgar Chagwa Lungu (official election results here). Later, the outgoing president conceded defeat and praised President-elect Hichilema for winning by a wide margin. To the pleasure of the populace, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu promised a seamless transfer of power to the next President and administration.

Watch  HH’s Inauguration Speech .

 

 

 

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