Zambians vote peacefully in tight race after tension, violence

While Hichilema has traditionally taken a more business-friendly stance than Lungu, whoever wins the election is likely to seek to attract more investment in the mining industry and improve the power supply, London-based risk advisers PGI Intelligence said by email.

Both have said they are confident of outright victory, and post-election violence could be an issue.

Analysts predict the result could be even closer than it was in 2015, when Lungu scrapped through with 48.3 percent of the vote compared with 46.7 percent for Hichilema.

Zambians queued in their millions Thursday for a series of elections that will see the southern African nation elect a fresh president as well as lawmakers, mayors and local authorities.

Meanwhile it is the vote which will determine whether the next leader will be the current President Edgar Lungu, a lawyer by profession, or opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, an astute entrepreneur whose profile is that of a rags to riches story.

Zambia, in contrast to some of its neighbours such as Angola and Zimbabwe, has escaped war and serious upheaval since independence from Britain in 1964.

The opposition United Party for National Development said the ruling vindicated its position that the PF “has been abusing its position during the campaign period in a desperate attempt to hold onto power at any cost”.

Sata died of an undisclosed illness in 2014 and the 2015 election gave Lungu, 59, the right to finish Sata’s term.

Hichilema, an economist and businessman widely known by his initials HH, has failed in four previous bids for the presidency. “We understand the economy, this economy is broken”.

Hichilema has repeatedly accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to attacks on UPND supporters and of undermining the opposition campaign by banning its rallies. Police raided Mwamba’s house and found petrol bombs, machetes and spears.

In addition, global rights groups have expressed concern over the alleged stifling of some local media.

A caller to one of the radio stations said it was impressive that many people had turned up to cast their votes.

Hichilema’s backers include several ex-PF heavyweights, such as Guy Scott, who acted briefly as president after Sata’s death, and Mulenga Sata, the late president’s son. The IMF predicts that the economy will grow by just 3.4% this year. But poverty is still widespread and the country has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world at an average of 52.15 years, according to the CIA World Factbook. “It’s possible it can still be as close as it was last time”. A referendum is also on the ballot for amendments to the constitution; Zambians will vote on whether all citizens are to be guaranteed the right to food, shelter, employment and health care; and whether homosexuality and abortion are to be regarded as crimes.