Well, helped enormously by the time difference, I was able to stay up late tonight and watch on Facebook Live as the Electoral Commission of Zambia announced the final constituencies and tallies for the Presidential election held on Thursday, August 12th. In the weeks leading up to this race, it has certainly felt like it would be close. And whatever the outcome, I told our team last week that watching elections unfold, seeing each citizen have a vote, and observing democracy in action always makes me a little teary-eyed.

A few short days ago, 16 individuals were on the ballot to be Zambia’s next president. As of the time I write this, Hakainde Hichilema has 2.8 million votes, and the incumbent Edgar Lungu has 1.8 million, with just one constituency remaining to be counted. Over 70% of Zambia’s registered voters turned out on Thursday, with long lines and an energized public. And close to 60% of them chose, among those 16 options, Hichilema to lead Zambia in its next chapter. The people of Zambia have spoken, and they have chosen a change. On social media, people remarked “If I don't vote today, I will regret it for the next five years".

Hichilema, more commonly known as H.H. or Bally, was born in Monze District and studied at the University of Zambia. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration, and pursued an MBA in Finance and Business Strategy at the University of Birmingham in the UK. He then served as the CEO of Coopers & Lybrand Zambia (now PWC) and Grant Thornton Zambia, before going into politics. As the leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), he has attempted to be President four previous times. He was also imprisoned by President Lungu four years ago, and charged with treason after he was accused of failing to give way to President Lungu’s motorcade. The arrest was widely condemned and Hichilema was freed after 100 days of imprisonment with all charges dismissed. Later that year, Hichilema was given the Africa Freedom Award. President-Elect Hichilema will have his work cut out for him – in the two months leading up to his election, Zambia saw the highest rates of COVID-19 cases, shuttered school doors to protect communities, and defaulted on its sovereign debt.

Lungu has seven days to petition the results in Constitutional Court, which then can take up to two weeks. But with a margin this large, it seems unlikely that any petition might change the ultimate result. Democracy can be fragile at times, as I have come to realize over the last election cycle here in the United States. But I believe in Zambia and I am more hopeful in this hour that there will be a peaceful transition of power in the weeks to come. As our new President-Elect H.H. said in this article, “This is not just a pivotal moment for Zambia. It is a watershed moment for African democracy.”

-Reshma