Zambia awaits election results as soldiers patrol the streets and the internet is shut down

Zambians await results on Friday after a close race for the top job following reports of clashes in Thursday’s election, as well as an internet shutdown.

This is the third time that outgoing President Edgar Lungu, 64, has faced opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema, 59.

While provisional results began to fall on Friday, final results are expected on Sunday, a change from the long compilation deadline after the 2016 election.

Some 96 percent of the polling stations were operational on time, according to local observers from the Christian Churches Watch Group (CCMG), who said the majority of the polling stations were functioning without problems.

The long lines meant some voters cast their ballots nine hours after the 6 p.m. polls closed.

While Zambia is considered a peaceful nation, there were multiple acts of violence on election day: from Lungu’s party, the chairman of the Patriotic Front for the North West Province was killed and the former mayor from Lusaka, also from the PF party, was stabbed.

Lungu blamed Hichilema’s party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), for the violence, while the UPND called their comments a distraction tactic.

Scuffles broke out at several polling stations after accusations that some people carried pre-marked ballots in their bags.

“Overall, however, incidents of harassment or intimidation were reported in 2% of polling stations, while incidents of violence in 3% of polling stations during voting and counting,” according to the CCMG press release.

Troops, no internet
The president reinforced troops in three provinces for the vote, saying the violence there “effectively rendered the elections … unfree and fair”.

Lungu’s party claims to be in the lead.
Hichilema came out on social media on Friday with a positive message to his supporters, saying: “The change is here.

Zambians have not been able to use the internet since election day, according to Netblocks, an international internet rights monitor.

The country was plagued by high cost of living, which dulled the enthusiasm some voters had for Lungu.

His crackdown on human rights and freedom of assembly also came into play for voters.

Some fear that the results will lead to violence, because the gap between the first two candidates is close.

The results in Lusaka, the capital of 3.3 million people, and the central Copperbelt province, site of the world’s largest copper production, will determine the vote.