LUSAKA, United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema has taken an early lead in the presidential race ahead of his closest rival Patriotic Front (PF) candidate and incumbent President Edgar Lungu in Thursday, August 12, 2021 general election.
According to official consolidated results from 15 constituencies announced by Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chief Electoral Officer, Patrick Nshindano at the National Results Centre in Lusaka this morning, Mr. Hichilema polled 171,604 votes followed by President Lungu who got 110,178.
Democratic Party (DP) leader Harry Kalaba is in the third position with 1, 244 while People’s Alliance for Change (PAC) candidate Andyford Banda is trailing closely at 1, 241.
Socialist Party (SP) candidate Fred Mmembe has so far amassed 824 votes while Party of National Unity and Progress (PNUP) candidate Highvie Hamududu polled 629.
The only female candidate in the presidential race, New Heritage Party leader Chishala Kateka received 496 votes from the 15 constituencies and behind her UPPZ’s Charles Chanda who polled 350 votes.
Zambia United for Sustainable Development (ZUSD) candidate, Lazarus Chisela got 293 while Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) leader Nevers Mumba only managed got 238 of the votes cast from the 15 constituencies.
Enoch Tonga of the Third Liberation Movement has polled 234 votes while United National Independence Party (UNIP)’s candidate Trevor Mwamba has 193 votes and Steven Nyirenda of the National Restoration Party (NAREP) polled 170 votes followed by Patriots for Economic Progress (PEP) candidate Sean Tembo with 149.
Leadership Movement Party’s (LMP) Richard Silumbwe with Economic Freedom Fighters candidate (EFF) Kasonde Mwenda are at the rear with a paltry 68 votes each.
ECZ chairperson Esau Chulu, vice chairperson Emily Sikazwe, Commissioners Ali Simwinga, Ndiyoi Mutiti and Major General Vincent Mukanda (Rtd) took turns in announcing different constituency results before Mr. Nshindano announced consolidated results from the 15 constituencies.
The constituencies are Kaumbwe and Malambo in Eastern province, Mwansabombwe in Luapula, Moomba in Southern, Lufubu and Mkushi North in Central province, Zambezi West, Ikelengi, Manyinga and Kabompo in North-western, Nchanga in the Copperbelt province, Lupososhi in Northern and Chirundu and Rufunsa in Lusaka province.
Mr. Nshindano said the total number of registered voters in the 15 constituencies is 412, 830.
“Valid votes cast are 287,996, rejected votes are 8,214. Total votes cast 296, 210. That represents the percentage turnout of 71.75 percent in the 15 constituencies,” he announced.
Meanwhile, Justice Chulu announced that the next update will be at 11:00 hours on August 14, 2021 at the national results centre in Lusaka.
There is still a total of 141 constituencies that are yet to be received and announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia to determine the winner of the presidential race, which has 16 contenders. Zambia has a total of 7,023,499 people who registered to vote in this year’s general election.
Yesterday afternoon, there was a disagreement when the commission was about to announce results for Feira constituency but UPND chairperson for elections Gary Nkombo objected.
Mr. Nkombo alleged that the results which ECZ was about to announce were not verified and did not tally with the ones opposition political parties had received from their polling agents on the ground.
This prompted ECZ officials to walk away from the briefing and only to return close to nine hours later after resolving the dispute with the aggrieved parties.(LusakaTimes).