Polls open in Zambia presidential election as economic reforms tested

Polls have opened for Zambia’s presidential election, in which President Hakainde Hichilema is seeking a second term.

Zambians began voting on Thursday morning at 6am (04:00 GMT) in the race dominated by economic concerns .

Polls are set to close 12 hours later, with 8.7 million people registered to cast their ballots.

The vote will test whether economic reforms introduced by Hichilema’s government have been enough to overcome widespread concerns over a rising cost of living.

More than 70 percent of Zambia’s 22 million people live on less than $3 a day, according to World Bank data.

While inflation fell to 6.8 percent in April and the kwacha currency has strengthened, many still face high food and energy costs. The unemployment rate is about 10 percent.

Long regarded as one of Africa’s more stable democracies, Zambia has come under scrutiny over concerns that Hichilema’s government has narrowed the space for dissent even as it promises stronger economic recovery.

The 64-year-old tycoon won a 2021 election on his sixth attempt and is betting on job creation and an ambitious infrastructure drive to secure a final five-year term.