(3 minutes read)
· Zambians will decide tomorrow ( Thursday) whom they will elect as president. President Edgar Lungu is seeking re-election
· The country faced worst economic performance in decades coupled with a crackdown on dissent
· This has raised fears of unrest in the southern African country. His (lungu) main rival is 59-year-old Hakainde Hichilema. He is running sixth time for the presidency unsuccessfully
Zambians will decide tomorrow ( Thursday) whom they would elect as president. President Edgar Lungu is seeking re-election. The country faced worst economic performance in decades coupled with a crackdown on dissent. This has raised fears of unrest in the southern African country. His (lungu) main rival is 59-year-old Hakainde Hichilema. He is running for the presidency for the sixth time unsuccessfully..
Hichilema narrowly only lost to Lungu twice: One in a 2015 by-election after the death of ex-president Michael Sata and subsequently in the general polls the following year. It is reported that Lungu deployed the army following clashes between the rival supporters in the run-up to presidential and parliamentary polls.
Zambia is a copper rich country. But more than half of its 17 million people live in poverty. Though the present incumbent is known for some of his development works, he is accused of borrowing unsustainably to finance flashy infrastructure projects. That caused the living costs to soar high. Opposition voters are keeping a low profile in Lusaka, traditionally a stronghold of the ruling party. Only door-to-door campaigns have been allowed this year rather than mass gatherings as a precaution against the spread of Covid-10
