Zambia counts votes in election seen as referendum on Hichilema

Votes are being counted in Zambia's presidential and parliamentary elections, widely seen as a test for President Hakainde Hichilema's economic policies, following a campaign dominated by concern over rising living costs. Hichilema took office in 2021 and steered Zambia through a debt restructuring and recovery, but many voters remain concerned about the high cost of living, unemployment and an unstable electricity supply. His main challenger, Brian Mundubile, a first-time presidential candidate backed by a coalition of opposition parties, hopes to capitalise on that frustration. A candidate needs more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright, otherwise the two leading contenders will face a run-off within 37 days. Officials are calling on voters to remain calm as they await the outcome, with final results expected on Monday. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reports.

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