Debt-Fueled Splurge May Cost Zambian President Lungu His Job
Polling shows opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has the edge after five failed bids for the presidency.
Zambian soldiers patrol the Chawama Compound to curb political violence in the run-up to the election.
Photographer: Salim Dawood/AFP/Getty Images
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Zambian President Edgar Lungu’s biggest selling point in the past two elections has turned into a liability in the lead-up to next week’s vote, making it his toughest challenge yet.
His party has built thousands of miles of roads, airports and rural health-care facilities during its decade in power. The spending binge has left the southern African nation with about $13 billion of foreign debt and culminated in a default that’s made life harder for Zambia’s 18 million citizens.