Roundup: Int'l observers declare Zambia elections free, fair despite challenges

International observers to Zambia's general elections and referendum on Saturday declared the elections free and fair, despite claims of fraud from the main opposition candidate.

While acknowledging minor challenges that may have occurred, the observers said the overall situation was that the elections were free, fair and credible.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who led the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), said the elections were conducted in a peaceful atmosphere within the framework that satisfactorily meets the continental and regional principles of democratic elections.

"The AUEOM commends the people of Zambia for the largely peaceful 2016 elections, notwithstanding a few incidents of election-related violence," he said when the various observers presented their preliminary statements on the elections.

Former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who led the Commonwealth Observer Group, said the mission's assessment was that the voting, closing and counting processes of the elections were credible and transparent.

"It is the Commonwealth's hope and expectation that this spirit of orderliness, tolerance and peace, which has characterized the voting process, will prevail as the results phase continues," he said.

The Southern African Development Community Electoral Observation Mission also commended Zambia for holding free, fair and credible elections despite the pre-election violence that characterized the campaigns.

The mission observed that the electoral body made commendable efforts to render the management of key aspects of the electoral process credible, free and fair.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Observer Mission also hailed the peaceful manner in which the elections have been held.

Chief Observer Mission Ashraf Gamal Rashed the elections were generally conducted in a free, peaceful and transparent environment despite a few challenges.

On Friday, Hakainde Hichilema, main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), accused the electoral body of deliberating delaying the announcement of the results.

Hichilema told reporters at the National Results Totaling Center after a meeting between the presidential candidates and the electoral body that the delay was meant to allow ruling party supporters to storm polling stations at night and write fake results.

The party has since demanded that three top senior officials from the electoral body, including its director, should resign for allegedly colluding with the ruling party to rig the elections.

Martha Mushipe, the party's legal counsel, said the three officials were linked to a man who was arrested on Friday for entering into the electoral body's server room at the National Results Totaling Center.

The man has since been arrested, and the opposition party claims he implicated the three officials when he was interrogated.

Zambians voted in presidential, parliamentary and local government elections on Aug 11. They also voted for city mayors and in a referendum meant to amend part three of the constitution which deals with people's rights.

Results released by the electoral body show that incumbent President Edgar Lungu is leading with 262,149 votes while Hichilema has 243,794 from 29 constituencies of the 156 constituencies announced by the electoral body.

The winner of the election must get more than 50 percent plus one of the vote to avoid a re-run following the amendment of the country's constitution. Endit