Government has congratulated Georgia’s Zurab Pololikashvili for his election as a nominee for the post of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General.
Mr Pololikashvili who is the Georgian Ambassador to Spain and also Permanent Representative to UNWTO emerged winner beating the Zimbabwean Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Dr. Walter Mzembi during an election at the just-ended 105TH Executive Council Session which closed last Friday in Madrid, Spain.
Tourism and Arts Minister, Charles Banda has congratulated Zurab Pololikashvili for his election who scooped 18 votes against his the Zimbabwean Tourism Minister who got 15 votes.
And Mr. Banda said Zambia will continue to remain relevant to the business of the UNWTO and thanked Zambia’s Ambassador to France who is also Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the UNWTO for his continued facilitations of Zambia’s active participation in the UNWTO activities.
This is according to a statement availed to ZANIS by Ministry of Tourism and Arts, Public Relations Officer Zacks Sakabilo.
Mr. Sakabilo said Dr. Walter Mzembi of Zimbabwe proved to be the strongest candidate in the first round, with 11 votes against Mr. Pololikashvili who polled eight votes.
He said Zambia’s Tourism Minister Charles Banda is First Vice-Chair of the Council and co-chaired the Council meetings that were fully attended by all 33 Executive Council members and more than 250 representatives from 59 UNWTO member states.
He explained that the 11 votes gained by the Zimbabwean candidate fell short of the required 17 votes for a simple majority hence the two candidates were subjected to another vote in which the Georgian Ambassador to Spain emerged winner with 18 votes against 15 votes.
He stated that the recommended candidate Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili would be submitted to the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly for ratification between September 11 and 16, 2017 in Chengdu, China.
The election for the nominee for the post of Secretary-General for the period 2018 to 2021 attracted seven candidates who include Vahan Martirosyan from Armenia, Márcio Favilla from Brazil, Jaime Alberto Cabal Sanclemente from Colombia, Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia, Young-shim Dho from South Korea, Alain St. Ange from the Seychelles and Walter Mzembi from Zimbabwe.
The next Executive Council Sessions 106th and 107th will take place in September 2017 in Chengdu, China in the framework of the 22nd UNWTO General Assembly.
tHIS IS RUBBISH , I CAN SEE THREE ZAMBIANS THEIR AND OUR BROTHER NEEDED THREE VOTES TO MAKE IT 18 -18 , SINCE HE WON IN THE FIRST ROUND HE WAS TO BE DECLARED WINNER AT 50% 50% MANJE THESE ZAMBIANS VOTED FOR MZUNGU ANIKONDE