Hichilema, Mundubile lead crowded race
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Friday August 14, 2026 11:06
Under Zambia’s electoral system, a presidential candidate must secure more than 50 % of the valid votes cast to be declared the ultimate winner. However, the model of the election is known as 50 plus one. Consequently, if none of the candidates reaches the required threshold, the election will proceed to a run-off between the two candidates who obtained the highest number of votes.
The possibility of a second round has therefore, added another layer of uncertainty to an already closely watched election. With 14 candidates competing for the presidency, the opposition vote could be divided amongst several candidates, potentially making it difficult for anyone contender to cross the 50 percent-plus-one threshold in the first round. As voting starts today (Thursday), by Friday evening, it will be clearer on who is winning the presidential race.
The presidential candidates are Given Mwenya Chansa of the Movement for Economic Emancipation (MEE), Brian Mushimba of the Organised People’s Party (OPP), Richard Silumbe of the Leadership Movement (LM), Given Katuta, who is contesting as an independent, Harry Kalaba of Citizens First (CF), Xavier Chungu of the Liberal Democrats Party (LDP), Fred M’membe of the Socialist Party, Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND), Kelvin Fube Bwalya of the Zambia Must Prosper Party (ZMP), Dan Pule of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP), Brian Mundubile of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NAREP), Richwell Siamunene of the New Focus Party (NFP), Howard Kunda of the Zambia Wake Up Party (ZAWAPA), and Ackim Antony Njobvu of the Democratic Union (DU).
However, while all 14 candidates have entered the presidential race, the campaign has increasingly been dominated by Hichilema and Mundubile, who are presenting voters with sharply contrasting political messages.
Hichilema is seeking a second term in office, putting his economic record and reform agenda at the centre of his campaign. Since assuming power, he has repeatedly pointed to economic reforms, efforts to stabilise the economy and measures aimed at rebuilding investor confidence as some of the key achievements of his administration. Nevertheless, his economic agenda has also attracted criticism, particularly from opposition parties and sections of the electorate who argue that the benefits of economic reforms have not translated quickly enough into improved household living conditions. For ordinary Zambians struggling with the rising cost of living, economic statistics and reform programmes are increasingly being measured against the price of food, fuel and other basic necessities.
It is against this backdrop that Mundubile has sought to position himself as the alternative to Hichilema, focusing his campaign on the daily economic struggles facing ordinary citizens.Mundubile, a 55-year-old lawyer from Mporokoso in northern Zambia, has portrayed himself as a champion of citizens who feel left behind by the government’s economic policies. Rather than concentrating solely on macroeconomic reforms, his campaign has placed greater emphasis on household pressures and the immediate challenges confronting ordinary Zambians.
His political profile has also been shaped by his association with the former ruling Patriotic Front (PF) and the late former president Edgar Lungu. Mundubile is regarded as a close ally of Lungu and became a prominent opposition figure after the PF lost power.His emergence as a leading challenger has been aided by efforts to consolidate opposition forces around a common candidate. The fractured anti-government camp has sought to rally behind Mundubile through the Tonse Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties seeking to challenge Hichilema and prevent the UPND from securing another term.
That strategy, however, faces the difficult task of bringing together opposition supporters who are spread across different political parties and regions. For Hichilema, the challenge is equally significant. While he enters the election as the incumbent, he must convince voters that the economic reforms pursued by his administration are beginning to produce tangible improvements in their daily lives. The stakes are therefore high for both leading contenders. Hichilema wants to secure another five-year mandate and continue with his economic programme, while Mundubile is seeking to turn public frustration over the cost of living into an electoral wave strong enough to unseat the incumbent. Meanwhile, the presence of 12 other presidential candidates means the first-round outcome could be determined not only by the strength of Hichilema and Mundubile, but also by how votes are distributed among the smaller parties and independent candidates.