Zambian opposition leader to challenge election result in ⁠court

play Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedSportOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNews|ElectionsZambian opposition leader to challenge election result in ⁠courtMundubile claims his campaign documented ‘serious irregularities’ around the vote that handed President Hakainde Hichilema a second term. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoMundubile and the opposition say intimidation and restrictions marred the election campaign [File: AFP]By Reuters and The Associated PressPublished On 19 Aug 202619 Aug 2026Zambian opposition leader ⁠Brian Mundubile says he will challenge the country’s presidential election result in ⁠court, alleging voting fraud in the contest that handed President Hakainde Hichilema a second term in office. “Our campaign has documented serious irregularities, inconsistencies and circumstances surrounding ‌the conduct, counting, transmission and declaration of results,” Mundubile said in a statement on Wednesday. While last week’s vote was largely peaceful, the opposition said intimidation and restrictions marred its campaign, concerns echoed by international election observers. The election commission declared Hichilema the winner with about 60 percent of ⁠votes in the early morning ⁠Tuesday, compared with 38 percent for Mundubile. After a relatively quiet run-up to the August 13 election in the nation of 22 million people, tensions escalated rapidly after ⁠the polls closed. The authorities ⁠arrested 11 people, including leading opposition figures in a raid that involved an exchange of gunfire while Mundubile was present. The ‌electoral commission also suspended vote-counting for hours due to reports of violence against polling staff ‌and ballot paper theft. UN human rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday he was concerned over the arrest of the opposition officials. All arrests “must be fully consistent with international human rights standards, as well as Zambian domestic law,” Turk said in a statement. Hichilema entered the race as the clear favourite after steering Zambia through a major economic turnaround and restructuring its debt. But his first term was also marked by concerns over Zambia’s political space, with opposition parties and civil society groups accusing his government of curbing dissent. The incumbent leader’s second term will be shaped by demands for stronger accountability, national unity and broader benefits from economic growth. Hichilema is due to be sworn in within seven days of the commission publishing the official results, due by August 24, but the planned challenge by the opposition could delay the process. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: