Lusaka, 16 August 2021 (dpa/MIA) - There will be a new president in the landlocked southern African country of Zambia after opposition candidate Hakainde Hichilema was declared the winner of the presidential election by the electoral commission in the early hours of Monday. According to the results, Hichilema secured 2,810,757 votes and is thus clearly ahead of incumbent President Edgar Lungu, for whom 1,824,201 people voted. In the capital, Lusaka, people celebrated the election victory of Hichilema, who had previously run for office five times. Hichilema's supporters danced with joy in the streets of Lusaka, honking car horns and fireworks could also be heard. Hichilema himself thanked voters on Twitter. The election in Africa's former flagship democracy with its rich copper deposits took place amid a tangible economic crisis, political tensions and strict coronavirus restrictions.