Zambia's Hichilema wins re-election with 60pc votes. [AFP]
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema won re-election with 60 percent of votes cast last week, the electoral commission announced Tuesday, after a race critics said was tightly managed by his government.
Thursday's election in the copper-rich nation was largely peaceful, but opposition claims of intimidation, arrests, violence and irregularities tainted the run-up.
The result was widely expected, with Hichilema -- in power since 2021 -- facing a crowded field of 13 challengers led by a former provincial minister, Brian Mundubile, making his first bid for the presidency.
Mundubile, 55, secured nearly 38 percent of the vote, according to Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis.
Five of the 226 constituencies had not been tallied, she said. However, "The outstanding results are not likely to materially influence the overall result of that election."
In a statement after his victory was announced, 64-year-old Hichilema said: "We are truly humbled by the trust you have placed in our hands."
He added: "To those citizens who preferred the ideas presented by our opponents, we hear you, and we will continue to work for you."