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Zambia: Edgar Lungu takes slim lead in presidential vote
Zambia’s ruling party presidential candidate Edgar Lungu took a slim lead over his rival Hakainde Hichilema after votes from half of constituencies were counted, the electoral commission said on Thursday.
With no reliable opinion polls in the southern African state, few experts are keen to call a winner in the contest to succeed Michael Sata, who died in office in October aged 77.
Results from 80 out of 150 constituencies showed Patriotic Front candidate Lungu, 58, had 50.85 percent of votes, compared to 45.18 percent for Hichilema, 52, a wealthy economist and entrepreneur from the United Party for National Development.
Lungu polled 533,613 votes and Hichilema 474,076 out of just over 1 million ballots counted, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) said.
Turnout was around 35 percent as heavy rains disrupted voting across much of the landlocked country. Observers said the election was conducted in a fair manner.
The final result was due to be announced on Friday but is expected to be delayed.
The kwacha was 0.4 percent stronger at 6.45 against the dollar at 0930 GMT (0430 EST), firming for the second day as the peaceful vote eased investor jitters about stability in Africa’s second biggest copper producer.
With another election due late next year when Sata’s term would have ended had he not died in office, the winner will have little time to turn around a stuttering economy in one of Africa’s most promising frontier markets.
