From PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE in New York –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said that the Patriotic Front (PF) is making inroads in the strongholds previously held by the opposition.
Mr Lungu, however, said the results of the Solwezi West and Lubanseshi by-elections were a sign of the growing democracy in Zambia.
Mr Lungu told journalists at New York Palace Hotel yesterday that the PF was not a loser but a winner in the recent two by-elections because it scooped the Lubanseshi seat which was previously held by an independent candidate.
President Lungu said that assertions by opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema of closing up the gap was not correct because the PF got more votes in Solwezi West compared to the past.
“We won. Solwezi West was not our seat. Lubanseshi was not our seat but we won it. So what growth is he talking about unless he doesn’t know arithmetic,” Mr Lungu said.
The President said the PF had made strong and evident inroads in areas held by the opposition, saying in places like Western Province, PF had no seat but it now has some.
Mr Lungu further said the PF’s winning of local government seats in areas such as Mwinilunga, Sichili and Solwezi was a sign that the ruling party was gaining mileage in opposition strongholds.
“We are not the losers but winners,” Mr Lungu said before leaving the hotel to attend the General Assembly session where Pope Francis, who is also in attendance for the first time, addressed the more than 154 heads of State and Government.
Mr Lungu, however, hoped that the experiences that the party had gone through would be treasured for the future so that the democratic process was approached with more commitment to peace.
The Head of State said that there was no need to make violence become part of the country’s democracy.
Meanwhile, President Lungu will highlight to the General Assembly global problems such as climate change and issues affecting women.
Mr Lungu, who has been requested by the United Nations General Assembly to present some of the issues he raised in his speech when he opened Parliament last Friday, said the majority of mankind seemed to lag behind on how women could be treated as equal partners in developing the economy and well-being of people.
“So there are issues as I said which are global and Zambia is also affected. We will interact here and see how we can sort them out,” Mr Lungu said.
Mr Lungu said that Zambia would use the General Assembly to learn from the best practices of the region and global countries on how some of the issues affecting the country could be sorted out.