Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile has rejected President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election victory and says he will challenge the result through the courts.
Zambia’s electoral commission declared Mr Hichilema, 64, the winner of the 13 August election with about 60% of the vote. Mr Mundubile received about 38%.
However, the opposition candidate says serious questions remain over how the election was conducted, counted and declared.
In a statement, Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile said his team had documented what he described as “serious irregularities” and inconsistencies surrounding the vote.
The former MP for Mporokoso said his campaign had compiled evidence which would form part of a formal petition before the appropriate court.
Mr Mundubile wants the court to examine whether votes were lawfully cast, counted and recorded.
He also wants it to determine whether results announced at polling stations match the figures recorded at constituency, provincial and national levels.
The opposition leader said his decision was not driven by bitterness. Instead, he said, the legal challenge aimed to protect Zambia’s democracy and ensure that legitimate votes counted.
The election process also faced disruptions. The electoral commission temporarily halted vote counting after reports of violence and the theft of ballot papers.
A heavy military presence also raised concerns among some observers about their ability to monitor the process freely.
Meanwhile, the European Union election observation mission identified problems with the handling of results.
Its observers reported that some electoral officials did not immediately record results on tally sheets after announcing them.
The mission also said observers witnessed lengthy breaks during the tabulation process in almost half of their observations.
In addition, some returning officers appeared to wait for instructions before announcing results.
The court will now have the opportunity to examine the evidence and determine whether the election met Zambia’s constitutional requirements for a free, fair, transparent and credible vote.
For Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile, the legal challenge could become a major test of Zambia’s electoral process and democratic institutions.
