Lungu warns rival to accept poll results

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (right) shakes hands with Zambia's President Edgar Lungu at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 30, 2015. Lungu has warned his main challenger Hakainde Hichilema not to dispute results of the August 11 General Election. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Zambia’s election campaign has been beset by violence perpetrated mainly by supporters of the main opposition United Party for National Development and their rival governing Patriotic Front counterparts.
  •  The opposition raised concerns about the choice of the Dubai-based ballot printer and the alleged voter registration of foreigners, which criticism has been dismissed as “unfounded fears” by governing party officials.
  • Mr Lungu also instructed Zambia Police to get tough with troublemakers as there was growing impunity. 

LUSAKA

Zambia President Edgar Lungu late Sunday warned his main challenger Hakainde Hichilema not to dispute results of the August 11 General Election or face “wrath”. 

The 59-year-old leader made the jibe in front of hundreds of his supporters as he canvassed for votes in Matero Township north of the capital Lusaka. 

Zambia’s election campaign has been beset by violence perpetrated mainly by supporters of the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) and their rival governing Patriotic Front counterparts. 

Mr Lungu, seeking re-election after being elected in January 2015 to replace late Michael Sata, told Mr Hichilema to “get out of the race” if he was not ready for the race instead of crying foul before votes were even cast.  

“I want to warn HH [Hakainde Hichilema] to get out of the game if he is not prepared. The reason is simple: he is telling the people that he won’t accept the results. Mwalifyumfwapo ifyamusango ifyo [have you ever heard such a thing]

If he is not ready to accept the results, let him get out of the game,” President Lungu said, mixing Bemba language with English. “HH nga akakana ukusumina ama results akamona efyo nkamucita (If HH refuses to accept the results, he will see what I will do to him).

GROWING IMPUNITY

“You have not even entered the ground[stadium] and you start complaining that you will not accept. When we win, whoever will not accept the results will see what I will do to them.”

The opposition raised concerns about the choice of the Dubai-based ballot printer and the alleged voter registration of foreigners, which criticism has been dismissed as “unfounded fears” by governing party officials.

Mr Lungu also instructed Zambia Police to get tough with troublemakers as there was growing impunity. 

Rival party supporters have been going round tearing down campaign posters, burning each other’s vehicles and offices, in the process several have been injured with one person, an opposition sympathiser, dying in the mayhem.

Mr Hichilema,54, was promising to fix the slumping economy while Mr Lungu was campaigning citing “continuity and stability”.

Both Mr Lungu and Mr Hichilema were graduates of the University of Zambia.

Mr Lungu is a lawyer while Mr Hichilema is an economist.