President Hakainde Hichilema now wants to build on the foundations that he laid in his first term Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in for a second five-year term following a disputed election and the arrest of his main opponent on treason charges. Hichilema – credited with stabilising the economy – swept to victory on 13 August with 60% of the vote, according to official results.
Runner-up Brian Mundubile, who received 38%, alleged that the outcome had been tampered with. He was unable to mount a legal challenge to the result as the courts were sealed off last week on the final day a case could be filed. Election observers said that while polling day was largely peaceful, some have raised questions about the vote tallying process.
Thousands of jubilant supporters packed the stadium to witness the swearing in ceremenony European Union observers said staff in many tallying centres did not record results on tally sheets as soon as they were announced and cited weak verification between digital entries and paper records. It added that returning officers frequently paused proceedings while awaiting instructions from headquarters.
The day after the poll, security forces raided a property in the capital, Lusaka, linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting a number of opposition politicians. The authorities accused the opposition of planning an armed insurrection, which they denied. Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, had gone into hiding. They were detained by police last week and charged at the weekend.
During his inauguration speech on Tuesday, Hichilema did not comment on his opponent's detention but said that the "pursuit of political power must never come at the expense of peace, security and stability in our country".