BRIEFING | Pule accepts Hichilema victory, urges opposition to abandon election petition
Christian Democratic Party president Daniel Pule has urged opposition leaders to accept President-elect Hakainde Hichilema’s victory and move on, adding his voice to growing opposition resistance to a presidential election petition.
Pule, who contested the August 13 presidential election, said his party accepted the Electoral Commission of Zambia’s declared outcome and believed voters had chosen to retain Hichilema.
“Zambians have spoken through the ballot,” Pule said in a statement issued on Saturday. “The people of Zambia have spoken and have chosen to retain President Hakainde Hichilema to continue the work he began in his first term.”
He argued that challenging the result could prolong political tension and slow efforts towards reconciliation.
“We therefore appeal to all opposition leaders to respect the outcome of the elections and to move on,” he said.
Pule’s position adds to a widening split over how the opposition should respond to the result. Brian Mundubile, who finished second, has rejected the declared outcome and said he intends to pursue available legal avenues, while several opposition figures and parties have either conceded or argued against a petition.
“Campaigns are over,” Pule said. “It is time for all of us to focus on building Zambia, because Zambia is bigger than all of us.”
The statement comes as the constitutional window for challenging Hichilema’s election moves towards its close, leaving Mundubile with a narrowing period in which to turn his stated intention to petition into a formal court case.
– The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu