PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has assured the international community that Zambia will hold free, fair and peaceful elections on August 11, this year.
Mr Lungu said here yesterday that his one year in office had been marked by massive development projects which Zambians had appreciated.
He said this during an interview with Radio France International journalist, Laura-Angela Bagnetto and in another interview with France 24’s ‘Eye on Africa’ producer, Georja Calvin-Smith at Le Meurice Hotel.
The Head of State said he had sufficient trust in the Electoral Commission of Zambia and Zambia Police Service to facilitate credible and peaceful polls, respectively.
“The ground is even and I have confidence in the robust Electoral Commission of Zambia while the police service is equal to the task. I just expect all the players to cooperate,” he said.
Mr Lungu dispelled the notion that his administration had stifled Press freedom in the country, and cited some foreign journalists who had been operating in Zambia freely.
“I don’t have any record of stopping any journalists, even the hostile media,” he said.
The President said he was proud of the progress so far made in implementing development projects which had been widely applauded by Zambians.
He extended an invitation to investors in France to consider setting up businesses in Zambia as it was one of the most politically stable countries in Africa.
The Government, he said, had focused on economic diplomacy for the mutual benefit of both the investors and Zambians.
He said the Government had shifted its attention to agriculture, infrastructure development, manufacturing, tourism and other crucial sectors to grow its economy.
“We are not going to abandon mining, but all we are saying is that we have learnt a lesson from being a mono-economy.
“Zambia has depended on copper for many years and the economy has been disrupted each time the commodity prices fell,” Mr Lungu said.
He said climate change had had a profound effect on agriculture and the environment, adding that part of the reason he was in France was to forge progressive partnerships with entrepreneurs willing to invest in the country’s energy sector.
The Head of State said as much as the Government wanted to implement cost-reflective tariffs, it would not rush the decision to avoid hurting consumers.
“It’s like the issue of re-introducing the national airline; we haven’t reversed the idea, but we will do it gradually,” he said.
He said Zambia would continue playing a role in ending conflicts in Burundi, and was confident that the forthcoming meeting in Angola under the auspices of the Great Lakes Region would find solutions to the political turmoil which was affecting neighbouring countries.
Mr Lungu said he was deeply proud of the peace Zambia had enjoyed across the years despite people holding different opinions on national matters.
2016 vote (PF) Edgar
i thank you
DOCKING-(MARITIME) INSTRUCTIONS
VESSEL PF-EL 2015
VESSEL PF: “requestdockingcoordinates”
DOCKING STATION:”look for nearest station and guide the ship.”
VESSEL PF:” condition preventing docking is in effect”
DOCKING STATION: “hold-position”
VESSEL PF:”recalldockinginstructions”
DOCKING STATION:”all clear approach”
VESSEL PF:”after fulfilled initial real docking condition,vessel stopped near the docking seat,depth control was used to approach while stern vertical thrusts went all out”
VESSEL PF: “all clear DOCKING NOW COMPLETE”
DOCKING STATION:” good job Captain EL and welcome to State house”
2015 vote PF(Edgar)
I thank you,,,,
YAH! THIS MAN (ECL) IS BRAINY. HE IS TALKING ABSOLUTE SENSE. I AM PROUD OF HIM. I AM PRETTY SURE THAT 11 AUG. 2016 ELECTION ARE FOR ECL AND PF, WHILE ERECTIONS ARE FOR THE OPPOSITION. VOTE LUNGU PF. DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECTS MUST CONTINUE BY VOTING ECL AND PF. DON’T VOTE FOR HH CAMP. THEY DON’T KNOW INFRASTRUCTURE COMES BEFORE ENJOYMENT. THEY TELL PEOPLE THAT, “YOU CAN’T EAT ROADS”. WHO SAID ROADS HAVE BECOME EDIBLE? GOOD ROADS TOGETHER WITH OTHER INFRASTRUCTURES FACILITATE ALL KINDS OF BUSINESSES AND YOU CAN’T HAVE MEANINGFUL BUSINESSES BEFORE DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURES. BUT, YOU ARE TOLD BY THE SO CALLED ECONOMIST (HH) AND CAMP THAT YOU CAN’T EAT ROADS. WHAT KIND OF AN ECONOMIST IS THIS.
Free and fair must not just be claimed. It must be observed. So far, under Lungu, it has been a yawning reality.
LT, you dont have to publish the same message covering the trip to France 10 times. We get the point. There is nothing really special to have France24 channel operating in Zambia. These guys are just panicking because the elections are around the corner. Aint nothin’ new here.
Its easy to promise people free and fair elections. Can we at least see to it that the opposition parties are allowed to meet their supporters without being blocked. What the President is telling the French is different from how he is behaving here back home.
Always look to the opposite of what Lungu says.
#ChagwaMustFall
#PartyForChronicFlipFloppers
@katondo boys,
Please take your immature childish comments somewhere else. The only thing that you are showing us here is that you are seriously deficient in mental capacity and have no idea how to be a responsible citizen.
HOW DO WE EXPECT LUNGU TO RUN A COUNTRY WHEN HE HAS FAILED TO RUN UNZA AND CBU? LUNGU AND HIS CABINET ESPECIALLY KAINGU ARE VERY CHILDISH AND ARE TRYONG TO APPLY CHILDISH PLAY GROUND SOLUTIONS TO IMPORTANT ISSUES. THE STUDENTS PLEAS WHERE COMPLETELY IGNORED UNTIL THEY WHERE FORCED TO DO WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO GET GOVERNMENTS ATTENTION. THE LAST TRIP TO EUROPE WAS A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY AND THAT MONEY WOULD HAVE FUNDED BURSARY COMMITTEE FOR SIX MONTHS. NO UNZA NO CBU NO VOTE!!!
There you have it, he is simply incapable of telling the truth. But then that’s the nature of PF.
This is after recently meeting with the Pope but still same old same old lies. He is beyond redemption
Edgar come back home and open universities than lavishing in europe,nosense.
All signed deals are supposed to be implemented once signed are they not? Why wait for Edgar to say implement. Edgar wants to be a dictator without teeth and no one is taking any attention of him.
I hope Lungu is walking the talk. Time will tell
BA MAN KENYA, MWALICHONA TAMUYAKO KU ZAMBIA SO YOU ARE IN DARKNESS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS GOING ON IN ZAMBIA? MUGONENENE KWAMENE UKO KU AMERICA. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED THAT THE WHOLE WORLD HAS MOVE TO DEVELOPED PEACEFUL ZAMBIA.
BA MAN KENYA, MWALICHONA TAMUYAKO KU ZAMBIA SO YOU ARE IN DARKNESS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENTS GOING ON IN ZAMBIA? MUGONENENE KWAMENE UKO KU AMERICA. YOU WILL BE SHOCKED THAT THE WHOLE WORLD HAS MOVE TO DEVELOPED PEACEFUL ZAMBIA. ZZZZZ
BAWISHI, EDGAR HAS NEVER BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR DICTATORSHIP. EVEN THE LAWS OF ZAMBIA CAN’T ALLOW HIM IF HE WANTS TO BE ONE. MAYBE SINCE YOU ARE VERY FAR YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO KAFUPI ABOUT THIRD TERM. HE WAS GIVEN 4 DAYS BY ZAMBIAN COMMON PEOPLE TO REVERSE OR THEY WERE GOING TO EJECT HIM OUT OF STATE HOUSE. NOW, ECL IS A VERY HUMBLE PERSON UN LIKE POMPOUS HH.
@ man Kenya
President ECL always walk to talk.
One example is on the constitution in 2015
during the swearing in as a President he promised
to give Zambians the constitution which he has done
Yes he will walk the talk coz he is humble and has the
ability to listen to you, unlike hh.
@ Truth, you are either 100% 5tupid or absolute shameless liar. Which one is the truth?
Its incumbent upon every citizen to make the elections free & fair. Leaving it to Kadansa’s perceived humility won’t work. After all to who should they be free & fair if not to us. Like #Peter says Kafupi’s third term bid failed because of people power. We shouldn’t spend the next five years regretting who we elected. Its a costly & tedious experience.
Edgar Lungu allow opposition to have the right to assemble just as your ministers are over campaigning. HH 2016
More rains more water more food more water for HEP production more economic activities more jobs more money more roads schools and hospitals more vots for lungu more tears and pain for HH and more shame for GBM, Masebo,Bob, Mutati, lupando mwape katoloshi.
Right on President ECL. We will support you all the way. We the Concerned Zambians hereby declare that NOT ANY MORE are we going to have a Government of Mmembe For Mmembe and by Mmembe in Zambia. The Tax Dodger, Defrauder of Government Banks, Economic Saboteur, and the embodiment of Thievery on a Grand Scale must fall on 11th August 2016. Mmembe’s empire of hate should come to an end.We want the Presidency free from the Manipulation of Mmembe. We want our Governance systems to reclaim their Respect. We want the Church, Civil Society, Proffessional Institutions to reclaim their Relevance. Yes August 11, 2016, Mmembe’s thieving Empire and his proxies should fall.
We have heard that several times and kinda bored with that slogan. So Mr President take several sits!
One love.