{"id":238270,"date":"2016-08-11T06:56:55","date_gmt":"2016-08-11T06:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=238270"},"modified":"2016-08-11T06:56:55","modified_gmt":"2016-08-11T06:56:55","slug":"polls-open-in-zambia-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2016\/08\/polls-open-in-zambia-elections\/","title":{"rendered":"Polls open in Zambia elections"},"content":{"rendered":"
Voting has begun in Zambia’s presidential and parliamentary elections following campaigning marred by clashes between rival supporters.<\/p>\n
It is expected to be a tight race between President Edgar Lungu’s governing PF party and the opposition UPND led by Hakainde Hichilema.<\/p>\n
For the first time, a presidential candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to avoid a run-off.<\/p>\n
Mr Lungu narrowly won the last election with 48% of votes.<\/p>\n
Observers say Zambia’s struggling economy will be a key issue.<\/p>\n
Plunging prices for copper, its main export, have closed mines and left thousands unemployed. With economic growth roughly halved, the country asked the International Monetary Fund for help earlier this year.<\/p>\n
In addition, Zambia, like other parts of southern Africa, has been hit by a drought that the UN has described as the worst in 35 years.<\/p>\n