World News
Hakainde Hichilema sworn in for second term in Zambia amid opposition treason charges
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema begins his second term following a disputed August election and the detention of key opposition leaders.
The short version
- President Hakainde Hichilema was scheduled to be sworn in for a second five-year term on Tuesday after officially winning 60% of the vote in the August 13 election.
- Main opposition candidate Brian Mundubile, who took 38% of the vote, was detained and charged with treason alongside his running mate after alleging election tampering.
- Election observers, including the European Union, reported irregularities during the vote tallying process.
- Mundubile was unable to challenge the election results in court after judicial buildings were sealed off on the final filing day.
Key facts
- Hakainde Hichilema won the August 13 presidential election with 60% of the vote, while opposition candidate Brian Mundubile received 38%.[BBC News]
- European Union election observers reported issues during vote tallying, including unrecorded results on tally sheets and weak verification between digital and paper records.[BBC News]
- Mundubile was prevented from filing a legal challenge to the election results because courts were sealed off on the deadline for filing.[BBC News]
- Security forces raided a Lusaka property linked to Mundubile the day after the vote, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting several opposition figures over alleged plans for an armed insurrection.[BBC News]
- Mundubile and his running mate, Makebi Zulu, went into hiding before being arrested and charged with treason.[BBC News]
- African leaders, including Botswana's President Duma Boko and Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan, were expected to attend the inauguration at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.[BBC News]