Strong turnout as polling starts in Zambian elections

Voting for Zambia’s general elections started early Thursday morning, with citizens out in force to elect parliamentarians, local government leaders, and a new president.

A huge turnout has been reported as people queued for hours before polling stations opened nationwide at 6 a.m. local time (0400GMT).

Incumbent President Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front, who is seeking re-election, and his wife cast their votes just after 6 a.m. in the capital Lusaka.

His main challenger, Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National

Development, is expected to vote in the next few hours.

Zambia, a Southern African country of some 18 million, has over 7 million registered voters, who will choose parliamentarians from 156 constituencies and local council members from 116 districts in 10 provinces.