Zambian leader will respect election results: ruling party

Zambian President Edgar Lungu will concede defeat if he loses next week's elections, a ruling party official said on Sunday.

Frank Bwalya, deputy spokesperson of the Patriotic Front (PF), said the Zambian leader will respect the will of the people if he loses the August 11 polls because he was a man of his words.

He told QFM radio that the ruling party will respect the will of the people and that Lungu will not hesitate to hand over power.

He, however, said the party was confident of winning the elections because it has done its homework and has delivered development it promised to Zambians.

He further said people have confidence in the way the ruling party has provided leadership in the last five years and that people will not want to experiment with new leadership.

On Saturday, former Zambian President Rupiah Banda urged political party leaders to concede defeat once they lose the polls.

Banda, who ruled Zambia from August 2008 to September 2011, said when he lost elections, he accepted the outcome and was now able to walk with his head high.

Lungu faces eight other candidates in next year's general elections although the race was mainly with leading opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND).

Lungu narrowly defeated Hichilema in last year's presidential election called after the death of President Michael Sata. Endit