(3 minutes read)
- The African Union observers in Zambia’s election warned of possible high tensions in the country aftermath of Thursday’s vote to decide the next leader
- The mission said that there has been heightened friction between the incumbent ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party and the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND)
- The two political parties are the contenders for the election victory.
The African Union observers in Zambia’s election warned of possible high tensions in the country after Thursday’s vote to decide the next leader. The mission said that there has been heightened friction between the incumbent ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party and the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND). The two political parties are the contenders for the election victory. The elections took place under the threat of possible violence. But so far, no major violation of law and order has been reported, except for some localized skirmishes.
Violence occurred in North-Western province, a Hichilema stronghold. Two people including a chairman of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party were killed, according to some reports. The AU mission attributed this to tense politics due to misinformation fed by the media.The media landscape is polarized along with the political part and rampant hate speeches aired by both the parties. This is the third successive standoff between President Edgar Lungu, 64, and veteran opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema.
