Zambians voting as president bids for second term

Zambians are voting in an election to choose a president and parliament, with more than eight million voters registered to cast their ballots.

Polls opened at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT), though some experienced delays, and are due to close at 18:00.

The vote is seen as a test of Zambia's reputation as one of Africa's most stable democracies, amid concerns that political freedoms are being undermined. Unemployment and the rising cost of living remain major issues for voters.

President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second five-year term after steering Zambia through an economic rebound.

Fourteen candidates are on the ballot, but the contest is largely seen as a two-horse race between the incumbent and his main challenger Brian Mundubile.

Mundubile is a former minister in the Patriotic Front (PF) government that ruled from 2011 to 2021, with his alliance drawing support from backers of the late former President, Edgar Lungu.

Speaking after casting his ballot on Thursday, he said he stood for "peace and unity", as well as the empowerment of young people and women.

"This is indeed our second independence. I want every Zambian to celebrate this day," he added.

Lungu died more than a year ago and his body remains unburied in South Africa, amid a bitter dispute between Lungu's family and Hichilema, which has heightened political divisions in Zambia.

Hichilema, 64, won the 2021 election on his sixth attempt and is betting on job creation and an ambitious infrastructure drive to secure a second and final term.

The election is widely viewed as a test of his economic record, which has boasted debt restructuring, currency strengthening and lowered inflation.

But his government has also been criticised by Amnesty International for restricting rights and freedoms in the run-up to this election, an accusation that Zambian authorities have yet to comment on.

"After doing the heavy lifting, such as debt restructure, restoring the mining sector, now we want a step change in the growth so that we can take care of society," Hichilema is quoted by the AFP saying after he voted.

Civil society monitors have reported mostly orderly voting alongside some incidents of delays and procedural issues. International observers are present.

Mwiche Nalupumbwe, 26, was among hundreds who braved the morning chill to queue at polling stations well before they opened.

"Zambians are frustrated and this election is a 50-50, that is why we are all here early to make the change," he told the AFP news agency.

"I voted for HH because he cares about us," James Phiri, a 29-year-old student at the University of Zambia, told the Reuters news agency, using a common nickname for the president.

"Things are better after he re-introduced meal allowances," he said.

Samuel Chitendwe, a 47-year-old welder and father of four, said he voted for Mundubile.

"I have just come from firing someone. We are tired of stories about economic progress," he told Reuters.

A presidential candidate needs more than 50% to win outright or face a run-off, which must be held within 37 days.

Additional reporting by Dingindaba Buyoya and Natasha Booty

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica