The Zambian Police [official website] on Wednesday arrested two leaders of the United Party for National Development (UPND) [party website], the main opposition party. Hakainde Hichilema, president of UPND, and his deputy Geoffrey Mwamba were arrested for suspicions of sedition in part due to their claims that the election that re-elected President Edgar Lungu [Reuters report] in August was fraudulent [UPND statement]. The two opposition leaders were due to be charged Thursday.

Zambia’s presidency has been surrounded by controversy in recent years. Last month the Zambia Supreme Court denied an application by UPND to stop the inauguration of Lungu after allegations of fraud [JURIST reports]. In 2013 Zambian authorities arrested [JURIST report] former president Rupiah Banda on allegations that he misappropriated over USD $11 million during his three-year tenure in office. Zambia’s Supreme Court in 2010 acquitted [JURIST report] Regina Chiluba, the wife of former Zambian president Frederick Chiluba, of charges that she accepted stolen property during the years of her husband’s administration. Prior to his wife’s acquittal, former president Chiluba was acquitted [JURIST report] in 2009 of charges of stealing money from the country’s treasury while in office from 1991-2001. He was ordered to stand trial [JURIST report] on the corruption charges in February 2008.