By Reuters Staff

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       FILE PHOTO: Hakainde Hichilema, leader of Zambia？s opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), addresses a media conference in Cape Town, South Africa, August 31, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/File Photo

       LUSAKA (Reuters) - Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has defeated incumbent Edgar Lungu in Zambia’s presidential election, the electoral commission said on Monday when releasing the final results from 156 constituencies, barring one.

       In the final tally, Hichilema secured 2,810,777 votes while Lungu was in second place with 1,814,201 votes, out of 7 million registered voters.

       “I therefore declare that the said Hichilema to be president of Zambia,” said electoral commission chairman, Esau Chulu, to a packed results centre in the capital Lusaka.

       Reporting by Chris Mfula, writing by Wendell Roelf; editing by Christian Schmollinger

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