Zambians Goes To The Polls Under New Laws

Zambia is heading for the polls just 18 months after the last presidential election, which saw Edgar Lungu win by less than 28,000 votes. 

What is special about this election?

Zambia has been hailed as one of Africa's most stable and mature democracies. It has held regular multi-party elections since 1991, including in 2011 when President Rupiah Banda lost, accepted defeat and stepped down.

But this poll is being contested under new rules.

The constitution was amended in response to the deaths of two sitting presidents in less than five years, which meant early elections on both occasions.

Under the new rules, a presidential candidate is required to have a running mate who will become vice-president and take over if the president dies in office.

For the first time, the winner must also secure a minimum of one vote more than 50% of the ballots cast. Otherwise the poll will go into a second round, to be held within 37 days.

This means the president should have gained the support of a wider cross-section of society.

In addition to the election, the people will also be voting in a constitutional referendum on the same day, to decide whether to amend the bill of rights.

This gives all Zambians the right to food, shelter, employment and healthcare.

It also bans homosexual acts, abortion and raises the age of consent to 19.

Some civil society groups have criticised the decision to hold a referendum question in parallel to the general election.

They say amending the bill of rights in the constitution is a matter of such gravity that it should be addressed on its own merits, without subconscious influence from the positions taken by political leaders.

Who are the main candidates?

There are nine presidential candidates, with President Lungu, 59, of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and Hakainde Hichelema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), 54, the front-runners.

Both men stood in last year's election, which Mr Lungu narrowly won.

Before becoming president, Mr Lungu, a lawyer, served in Mr Sata's government as minister for justice and defence. He also held several leadership positions within his party.

Will there be any violence?

It looks as though it will be yet another tight race and passions will be running high.

There was not violence after last year's presidential by-election, triggered by the death of President Michael Sata, although Mr Hichilema narrowly lost and claimed there was rigging.

However, the run-up to Thursday's poll has been marred by clashes between rival supporters.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) was forced to suspend campaigning in Lusaka for 10 days because of the violence.

In June, the Zambian police fired tear gas to disperse staff protesting against the closure of leading daily newspaper, The Post.

The independent newspaper was shut down by the authorities over an unpaid tax bill of $6.1m (£4.1m).

The newspaper and some local human rights groups condemned the move, with the paper's editor saying it was a politically motivated attempt to clamp down on the independent press ahead of the elections.