2021 Zambian general election

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Presidential election
Turnout	70.61% ( 14.16pp)
Nominee Hakainde Hichilema Edgar Lungu Party UPND PF Running mate Mutale Nalumango Nkandu Luo Popular vote 2,852,348 1,870,780 Percentage 59.02% 38.71%
President before election Edgar Lungu PF ElectedPresident Hakainde Hichilema UPND
National Assembly election
156 of the 167 seats in theNational Assembly 85 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Vote % Seats +/– UPND Hakainde Hichilema 46.22 82 +24 PF Edgar Lungu 35.70 60 −20 PNUP Highvie Hamududu 0.27 1 +1 Independents – 14.31 13 −1 This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. Speaker of the National Assembly before Speaker of the National Assembly after Patrick Matibini PF Nelly Mutti
Maps
Hichilema   50-60%   80-90%   >90% Lungu   40-50%   50-60%   60-70% Presidential results by province Presidential results by National Assembly constituency National Assembly results by constituency

Politics of Zambia
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Government President Hakainde Hichilema Office of the Vice President Vice President:Mutale Nalumango Cabinet
Legislature National Assembly Speaker:Nelly Mutti Constituencies
Judiciary Constitutional Court President:Mulela Margaret Munalula Supreme Court Chief Justice:Mumba Malila
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General elections were held inZambia on 12 August 2021 to elect thePresident,National Assembly,mayors, council chairs and councillors.Hakainde Hichilema of theUnited Party for National Development was elected president, defeating incumbentEdgar Lungu of thePatriotic Front.^[1][2]

On 16 August, Lungu conceded in a televised statement, sending a letter and congratulating Hichilema.^[3][4]

The President is elected via thetwo-round system.^[5] Of the 167 members of the National Assembly, 156 are elected by the first-past-the-post system in single-member constituencies, with a further eight appointed by the President and three others beingex-officio members: the Vice President, the Speaker and a deputy speaker elected from outside the National Assembly (a second deputy speaker is chosen from among the elected members). The minimum voting age is 18, whilst National Assembly candidates must be at least 21.^[6]

A total of sixteen candidates registered to run for the presidency. The race was expected to be a close race betweenEdgar Lungu of thePatriotic Front andHakainde Hichilema of theUnited Party for National Development. Both competed in the2016 presidential elections, which Lungu won by a margin of 50.35% to 47.63%.^[7]

On 15 May 2021,Electoral Commission of Zambia chairEsau Chulu launched the start of the election campaign.^[12][13] However politicians were advised to minimise large crowd gatherings during campaign meetings due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. TheNational Assembly was dissolved on 12 May by PresidentEdgar Lungu to provide a level playing field in the campaign.^[14] However, Lungu remained in office as per constitutional requirements.^[15]

On 26 May Lungu launched his own campaign. He also directed the police service and Ministry of Health to ensure enforcement of the COVID-19 pandemic health regulations and guidelines without fear or favour.^[16] On 3 June, due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Electoral Commission suspended campaign rallies again to avoid large crowds.^[17] On 15 June, the Electoral Commission banned thePatriotic Front andUnited Party for National Development from campaigning inLusaka,Mpulungu,Namwala andNakonde due to political violence. The Commission also banned all roadshows across the country to curb the transmission of COVID-19.^[18] On 1 August Lungu ordered the deployment of themilitary to help thepolice fight escalating political violence during the campaign.^[19][20]

On 28 July UPND Secretary GeneralBatuke Imenda released a statement that the party was disappointed with government institutions being used by President Lungu to block UPND presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema from campaigning.^[21] On 30 July, Hichilema and his campaign team were prevented from enteringChipata and detained on the runway ofChipata Airport. Before Hichilema's arrival in Chipata, police had teargassed his supporters.^[22] On 3 August, police inMbala blocked Hichilema and his campaign team from entering the town, with police claiming that he needed a permit to enter.^[23][24]

Hichilema heavily criticised Lungu, claiming he had used state power to interfere with the elections.^[25] In a campaign video, Hichilema portrayed Lungu as a morally corrupt individual with a history of monetary mismanagement, while portraying himself as fiscally responsible.^[26]

Three days before the elections the government openly stated there was a possibility of an internet shutdown if citizens failed to use cyberspace responsibly during the electoral process.^[27][28] In response to the initial report, Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Amos Malupenga promptly issued a statement dismissing the claims as malicious. However, there was a subsequent reversal in Malupenga's stance, as he admitted that an internet shutdown was a viable option. He emphasised the government's stance on preventing the abuse of cyberspace and warned of potential inconveniences if individuals were found to be engaging in misconduct. Malupenga stressed that the government would invoke relevant legal provisions to maintain law and order and ensure peace and stability during the election period.^[29]

On 12 August numerousTwitter users took to the platform to express concerns about the apparent shutdown of popularsocial media andmessaging apps such asMessenger,Facebook,Instagram andWhatsApp in the country.^[30][31][32] This caused a significant impact as it hindered the flow of information and communication on a vital day for democratic processes.^[33] Reports surfaced that internet users resorted to usingVirtual Private Network (VPN) services as a workaround to bypass the restrictions imposed on WhatsApp and various social media platforms. Despite these efforts to maintain connectivity, the situation raised questions about the accessibility and freedom of expression during the election period.^[34]

In response to the claims, Malupenga refuted the reports, dismissing them as "malicious." He emphasized the government's stance on responsible internet usage, stating that the government would not tolerate any abuse of the internet. Malupenga went on to caution that if any misconduct occurred, the government reserved the right to take legal action to prevent any potential disruption of law and order, particularly during the sensitive election period. His remarks underscored the government's commitment to ensuring a secure and orderly electoral process. Despite Malupenga's statements, the restrictions on social media platforms persisted, creating a challenging environment for citizens to freely express their views and share information. The limitations on the platforms added an additional layer of complexity to an already tense election period, sparking concerns about the implications for freedom of speech and information dissemination in the country.^[35][33]

On 16 August Hakainde Hichilema was declared president-elect of Zambia.^[2] At the time of the announcement, 155 out of Zambia's 156 constituencies had been counted, with onlyMandevu constituency still to declare. As the votes in that constituency were insufficient to affect the outcome, the electoral commission announced Hichilema's victory.^[36] Edgar Lungu conceded defeat shortly after the announcement.^[4][3]

The election inKaumbwe constituency did not take place on 12 August due to the death of the UPND candidate and was postponed until 21 October 2021.^[37]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	United Party for National Development	2,230,324	46.22	82	+24
	Patriotic Front	1,722,718	35.70	60	–20
	Socialist Party	61,325	1.27	0	New
	Democratic Party	50,886	1.05	0	0
	People's Alliance for Change	20,227	0.42	0	0
	Party of National Unity and Progress	13,178	0.27	1	+1
	United National Independence Party	12,742	0.26	0	0
	Forum for Democracy and Development	4,006	0.08	0	–1
	National Democratic Congress	3,807	0.08	0	New
	Movement for Multi-Party Democracy	3,665	0.08	0	–3
	Leadership Movement	3,585	0.07	0	New
	Christian Democratic Party	3,471	0.07	0	New
	New Heritage Party	1,762	0.04	0	0
	Golden Party Zambia	858	0.02	0	New
	National Restoration Party	664	0.01	0	0
	Zambians United for Sustainable Development	554	0.01	0	New
	Green Party of Zambia	499	0.01	0	0
	United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia	309	0.01	0	New
	Movement for Democratic Change	306	0.01	0	New
	Patriots for Economic Progress	232	0.00	0	New
	Economic Freedom Fighters	104	0.00	0	0
	Independents	690,418	14.31	13	–1
Appointed and ex-officio				11	–
Total		4,825,640	100.00	167	0
Valid votes		4,825,640	97.74
Invalid/blank votes		111,726	2.26
Total votes		4,937,366	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		7,023,499	70.30
Source:ECZ,ECZ,ECZ (Kaumbwe const.)

• On 14 August Edgar Lungu, the incumbent president, declared the elections "not free and fair"^[38] and stated they should therefore be nullified.^[39] He was pointing to the violence that happened in three provinces during election day when two members were murdered and PF supporters went into hiding.^[40] He also added that the governing party polling agents were brutalized and chased from polling stations, a situation that left the ruling party votes unprotected.^[41][42] On 16 August Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front conceded and accepted defeat, sending a letter and congratulating president-elect Hichilema.^[4][3] Lungu also conceded in a televised statement, "I would like to congratulate my brother Hakainde Hichilema for being elected as the 7th president of mother Zambia".^[43]

• European Union: On 14 August the EU Chief observer published aPress Release only commenting on observation undertaken up until the 14th of August.^[44] Maria Arena, the Chief Observer, said the election was largely calm and well-administered despite long queues, which shows the devotion of Zambians to exercise their right to vote; however, concerning the campaign, the Chief Observer noted that the campaigns took place in a highly competitive environment, adding that selective application of laws and regulations, misuse of state resources and one-sided media reporting meant that a level playing field was not achieved.^[45] The EU EOM is yet to publish its final report, with recommendations for improving the electoral framework for future elections.^[44]
• African Union: On 14 August the head of the African Union's observer mission, Ernest Bai Koroma said that voting "operations were conducted in a peaceful, transparent and professional manner".^[46]
• Nigeria: Nigerian PresidentMuhammadu Buhari congratulated President-electHakainde Hichilema on his victory. He also commended incumbent presidentEdgar Lungu for accepting the outcome of the election and a peaceful transfer of power, "noting that this patriotic disposition deserves the praise of all lovers of democracy."^[47]
• Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's main opposition leaderNelson Chamisa congratulated Hichilema's victory, "I’m so humbled and excited to have received a call and personally congratulated my brother and President-elect Hichilema".^[48]
• Uganda:Forum for Democratic Change Deputy secretary generalHarold Kaija congratulated Hichilema's upon his victory over the incumbent president Edgar Lungu.^[49]
• South Africa: Both presidentCyril Ramaphosa and main opposition leaderJohn Steenhuisen congratulated Hichilema's victory.^[50]

• 2021 elections in Africa
• 2021 in Zambia
• August 2021 in Zambia
• Presidential elections in Zambia
• Parliamentary elections in Zambia

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