Zambia’s electoral authority suspended the counting of votes in the country's presidential election on Friday following reports of physical attacks against polling officials and the theft of ballot papers.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia said it was halting the count immediately "in view of the security situation and continued threats of violence." It did not state who might be responsible for the alleged theft.
The commission indicated that it would review the decision in 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the main opposition candidate, Brian Mundubile, declared victory and warned that the suspension could create "an opportunity for interference with or manipulation of the results."
Mundubile claimed he had received information that military personnel had taken control of vote counting stations in at least one town, and that boxes containing ballots had been removed from stations in other locations. He provided no evidence for the claim.
There was no sign of any unrest in the capital, Lusaka.
Zambia, a former British colony, has held largely peaceful elections since it returned to a multiparty democracy in 1991. However, President Hakainde Hichilema faced criticism ahead of Thursday's election from opposition groups and independent rights organisations, who said his government was suppressing dissent.
Mundubile’s alliance had accused the administration of being behind a law enforcement agency raid on its offices days before the election, claiming the move was intended to harm the alliance’s campaign.
The election in the copper-rich southern African nation saw Hichilema seeking a second term in office. Results were initially expected to be announced on Monday, according to the electoral commission, though it said they might come sooner.
Hichilema ran against 13 other candidates including Mundubile, the leader of an alliance of opposition parties who is regarded as Hichilema’s principal challenger.
Zambians also cast ballots for members of Parliament and local government councillors. Around 8 million people in the country of 22 million were registered to vote at more than 13,500 polling stations nationwide.
The contest was widely seen as a test of Hichilema’s economic reforms and whether they were sufficient to overcome deep-seated frustration over the cost of living. Hichilema stabilised the economy following a debt crisis in 2020, but critics maintain those reforms have not yet benefited ordinary Zambians facing high prices and electricity shortages.
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