Zambia’s Edgar Lungu wins tight presidential election

Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu defeated his main rival Hakainde Hichilema in a close fought presidential election, the southern African nation’s electoral commission said on Monday.

Lungu, leader of the Patriotic Front, won 50.35 percent of the vote against 47.67 percent for Hichilema of the United Party for National Development, the commission said.

Mr Lungu needed more than 50% of the vote to be declared the outright winner – and he got over the threshold by less than one percentage point.

Final results: Lungu 1,860,877 Hichilema 1,760,347