Zambia: Lungu Wins Re-Election Amid Unrest and Charges of Fraud

Zambian police have arrested 133 people protesting against the re-election of President Edgar Lungu after his main opponent Hakainde Hichilema said the vote was rigged, a senior officer said Tuesday.

"They targeted perceived supporters of the ruling party, destroying their property," southern province police chief Godwin Phiri told Reuters.

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Lungu narrowly won re-election Monday with 50.35 percent of the vote against 47.63 for his opponent, the Election Commission of Zambia said.

Hakainde Hichilema's United Party for National Development, or UPND, said it would appeal the result at the Constitutional Court, accusing election officials of fraud during the count which began Thursday.

Lungu faced a tough challenge from Hichilema in a campaign to rule over Africa's second-largest copper producer which has suffered an economic slump due to depressed commodity prices.

The election centered around issues of rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices.

Hundreds of Lungu's supporters, most of them young men draped in the regalia of the ruling Patriotic Front, took to the streets, chanting slogans and singing, while drivers hooted their car horns in celebration.

"I'm happy that Edgar Lungu can continue to be president because I see a good future with him. I want him to create jobs for young people," said Zegu Kaunda who said he wanted to study law like Lungu.

Police said officers were sent to quell rioting by Hichilema's supporters in the south of the country after the result was announced.

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Harrison Simenda, a student who supports Hichilema, popularly known as HH, said, "They have stolen this election from HH but they will not enjoy it because I see very tough times ahead for our economy."

UPND party lawyer Jack Mwiimbu told reporters, "We have evidence to the effect that the votes for Hakainde Hichilema have been deliberately reduced in collusion with the Election Commission of Zambia."

The ruling party and the electoral commission have rejected the UPND's charge.

The UPND said on Saturday data from its own parallel count showed Hichilema beating Lungu "with a clear margin," with about 80 percent of votes counted. Monday's result means Hichilema has now lost five presidential elections.

All parties had access to the raw voting data, in which Zambians also chose members of parliament, mayors and local councillors, faster than the national commission.