The President Elect of the Republic of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema has assured the people of Zambia that change has come.
Hichilema made the remarks today in the country’s capital, Lusaka during his first press briefing as President Elect after winning presidential polls during elections held last week.
“It is with great honour, humility, and gratitude that I stand before you today to say change is here. We have prevailed.Zambia has prevailed. This victory does not belong to me, but to the men and women of Zambia. You came out in large numbers, with great energy and passion, and you sent a clear and resounding message that has reverberated around the world.It is time for a change. And through this message,you have tasked HH, Mutale Nalumango, and the UPND Alliance with forming your next government and delivering this change,” Hichilema says.
The President Elect has asked Zambians to forget the election results and work together for the betterment of the country.
“With the election behind us, let us come together as Zambians. One Zambia. One Nation. To those who voted for other candidates, we extend our hand, in friendship and respect. Though today you may be disappointed, I embrace you as your brother and as your servant,”
“I will be a President of all Zambians, of those that voted for me and of those that did not. We will govern without fear or favour, without preference for any group over another. Indeed, the values of inclusivity, equality and diversity will be at the core of our administration,” he says.
Hichilema adds,” Now is the time to move forward, beyond the partisanship of the election period towards a more prosperous and more united future. Let us put the past behind us, for it is what we do now, in the present, that will define our future.
To our competitors, we thank you for your participation in these elections. We are grateful for your gracious concessions, and for your acknowledgment of our victory. To you, we pledge to foster a better democracy where your voices and your democratic rights are freely exercised.”
Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema secured a stunning landslide victory over incumbent Edgar Lungu in Zambia’s presidential election, results showed on Monday.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) said Hichilema got 2,810,777 votes against Lungu’s 1,814,201, with all but one of the 156 constituencies counted.
Meanwhile, Lungu has congratulated Hichilema for the victory.
“I would, therefore, like to congratulate my brother, the president-elect, His Excellency, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema for becoming the 7th republican president,” Lungu says.
In 2015, Zambians entrusted me to lead them after the death of President Michael Sata. In 2016, you, the Zambian people, decided yet again to give him a fresh mandate for Five years that have ended in 2021.
