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) and are due to close at 1800.

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 term after steering Zambia through an economic rebound. But many complain that living costs remain high.

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.

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 final five-year term.