Zambia election: Edgar Lungu concedes defeat
Supporters of Zambian President elect for the opposition party United Party for National Development (UPND) Hakainde Hichilema remove a poster of the former president Edgar Lungu from a pole in Lusaka, on August 16, 2021.
What you need to know:
- The Zambian leader said he accepts the results of the August 12 elections and that he will peacefully hand over power in line with the country's Constitution.
Lusaka,
Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday conceded defeat in the elections held last Thursday, that opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema won.
The Zambian leader said he accepts the results of the August 12 elections and that he will peacefully hand over power in line with the country's Constitution.
Lungu congratulated President-elect Hakainde Hichilema and wished him success.
“I will comply with the Constitution’s provision for a peaceful transfer of power. I wish to congratulate my brother, Hakainde Hichilema, on being elected the 7th President of Zambia,” Mr Lungu said in a live broadcast on state radio and television.
He thanked people who voted for him and his party during the elections and urged them to continue supporting his party, briefly speaking about its successes.
Lungu thanked Zambians for giving him an opportunity to serve them.
"All I ever wanted to do was to serve my country to the best of my ability," he said. "Together with you we did score in many areas, of course, there were challenges on the way, but what I appreciate most was your support."
A man shows a poster while leaning out from the window of a minibus, as a long line of cars of supporters of Zambian presidential candidate Hakainde Hichilema parade in front of his residence, celebrating in Lusaka, on August 15, 2021.
Hichilema's promises
Zambia's electoral commission chairperson, Esau Chulu, declared the opposition candidate the winner after he garnered 2,810,757 votes (59.38 percent) against Mr Lungu’s 1,814,201 (38.33 percent).
He announced the results of 155 out of 156 constituencies, noting that those from the remaining constituency would not materially influence the outcome.
After the official announcement was made slightly before 2.35am, Mr Hichilema’s supporters went into a frenzy, popping champagne in celebration.
They spent the better part of the morning honking their car horns and singing in the streets of the capital, Lusaka.
In his address, the President-elect, of the United Party for National Development, promised to run an inclusive government.
“With the election behind us, let’s get back together as Zambians and as a family because that’s what we are,” Mr Hichilema also told a live broadcast.
He further promised a balanced Cabinet representing the country’s 10 regions.
He also thanked young voters who took part in the election and condemned electoral violence, saying there will be no retribution or witch-hunt.
Supporters of Zambian President elect for the opposition party United Party for National Development (UPND) Hakainde Hichilema gestures as they ride on a pick up truck in the streets of Lusaka on August 16, 2021.
Responsible celebrations
Meanwhile, Zambia's incoming governing party on Monday urged its supporters to celebrate their victory in a responsible manner instead of breaking the law.
Supporters of the United Party for National Development (UPND) have gone on wild celebrations after their leader, Hakainde Hichilema, was declared winner of last Thursday's presidential election in the early hours of Monday.
Shops owned by members of the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) have been destroyed in some parts of the country while makeshift stalls in the central business district of Lusaka, the country's capital, have been razed down.
A popular mall, ECL Mall, in Kitwe city on the Copperbelt has had some of its shops looted, with pictures on social media showing shops with shattered windows.
Offices belonging to the former ruling party at one of the busy bus stations in the Zambian capital have been looted. Major trading places in the capital have since remained closed.
Police have warned that they will not tolerate the lawlessness being perpetrated by few individuals and that anyone found wanting will be dealt with by the law.
Hichilema was declared Zambia's president-elect after beating incumbent President Edgar Lungu.
