Zambia suspends election vote counting amid violence and ballot theft reports

Vote counting in Zambia's presidential election has been halted by the electoral authority amid reports of violence and the theft of ballot papers. The Electoral Commission of Zambia announced the immediate suspension, citing the "security situation and continued threats of violence," without specifying who was allegedly responsible for the ballot theft. The commission stated it would reassess the situation within 24 hours.

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in view of the security situation and continued threats of violence.

Main opposition leader Brian Mundubile declared victory and expressed concern that the delay could create an "opportunity for interference with or manipulation of the results." Mundubile claimed to have received information that military members had taken control of counting stations in at least one town, and that ballot boxes were removed from other locations. He offered no evidence to support these claims. No unrest was visible in the capital, Lusaka.

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an opportunity for interference with or manipulation of the results.

The election, which saw President Hakainde Hichilema seeking a second term against 13 other candidates including Mundubile, was largely viewed as a referendum on Hichilema's economic policies. While Hichilema is credited with stabilizing the economy after a 2020 debt crisis, critics argue his reforms have not yet alleviated the high cost of living and electricity shortages faced by ordinary Zambians. Approximately 8 million voters were registered across more than 13,500 polling stations in the copper-rich southern African nation.

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members of the military had taken control of vote counting stations in at least one town and boxes containing ballots had been taken away from stations in other places.