Zambia police arrest opposition protesters

Zambia police have arrested some people protesting against the re-election of President Edgar Lungu after his main opponent Hakainde Hichilema said the vote was rigged.

Godwin Phiri, a Senior Police Officer said in Lusaka on Tuesday that 133 protesters were arrested because they targeted perceived supporters of the ruling party and destroyed their property.

“It is like this was well planned and they were just waiting for the winner to be declared. Calm has now returned following the arrests”, he said.

Lungu scraped home on Monday in a tight contest to rule over Africa’s second-largest copper producer which has suffered an economic slump due to depressed commodity prices.

The electoral commission said Lungu won 50.35 percent of the vote against 47.63 for Hichilema.

It stated that if any candidate had won less than 50 percent it would have led to a run-off.

Meanwhile, Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND), said it would appeal the result at the Constitutional Court.

The party accused the election officials of fraud during the count which began after voting ended last Thursday.

“The PF has effected a coup on Zambia’s democratic process.

“We submitted evidence before the declaration of the results regarding the gross irregularities that have taken place. That is why we will not accept the result”, it said.

The ruling party and the electoral commission have rejected the UPND’s charge.

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