Final rallies held in Zambia ahead of General Election

Zambian President Edgar Lungu and his rival Hakainde Hichilema staged their final rallies in Lusaka on Wednesday (August 10) ahead of a general election on Thursday (August 11).

Zambians will be voting for the posts of president and a running mate who will be the vice president, as well as 150 members of parliament, mayors and councillors.

Voters will also cast a ballot in a referendum on proposed amendments to the Constitution, including changes to the Bill of Rights.

Lungu, who heads the Patriotic Front party, narrowly beat Hichilema, known locally as “HH”, of the United Party for National Development (UPND) in a vote last year to replace Michael Sata, who died in office in October 2014.

Zambia is Africa’s second-biggest copper producer but its economy has been hit by falling world demand for the commodity, primarily due to a slowdown in China.

The UPND hopes to tap into frustrations over the country’s weak economy, as it grapples with the impact of a balance of payments shortfall caused by the diminishing demand for copper.

Zambia’s currency, the kwacha, also fell more than 2 percent in value on Monday (August 8), after data showed China’s demand for copper had slumped 14 percent in July.

Hichilema has pledged to boost power supplies, provide free education, increase agricultural output to reduce reliance on copper and cut what it calls wasteful government spending.

Lungu insists his government has made strides in improving Zambia’s road network, commissioning new power plants and investing in agriculture with limited resources.

The pre-election period has been marred by violence, forcing the Electoral Commission of Zambia to impose a 10-day ban on campaigning in some parts of the southern African country.

The UPND accused the commission of manipulating last year’s election results in favour of Lungu – a charge it rejected – and says this week’s vote will not be free and fair, with police blocking several of its rallies.

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.