• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu (standing right) at the 134th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly dinner at Government Complex in Lusaka. Picture by EDDIE MWANALEZA/STATEHOUSE

By CHILA NAMAIKO –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has challenged youths to apply to be adopted so that they can contest the August 11 general elections and subsquently actively participate in decision-making processes and other programmes of development.

Mr Lungu said Government has also put in place, the Youth Empowerment Fund to provide finance for youth empowerment projects to contribute to national development.

He said Government wanted youths to be involved in decision-making positions such as political ones by reaching out for parliamentary, ministerial and local Government positions.

“I am urging youths to aspire for parliamentary and local Government elections. Therefore, in implementing the National Youth Policy with our partners, we want to promote the inclusion and active participation of youths in decision-making processes, policy development, programming and project implementation, as outlined in the policy,” he said.

The Head of State was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 134th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly at Government complex on Saturday night held under the theme: ‘Rejuvenating democracies: Giving voice to the youth’.

He observed that by applying for adoption on political parties in the forthcoming election, the youth will be significantly empowered to contribute more in higher decision-making positions.

President Lungu also reaffirmed the need to invest in youths as it was a worthwhile endeavour because of their potential to contribute to the country’s development.

He said the Government has since established the National Youth Development Council which was the principal advisor to Government on youth matters and oversees the registration of youth organisations in the country.

“At basic level, the Zambian Government has also introduced civic and voter education programmes in schools as a way of sensitising young people on their role in civic duties and decision-making process,” he said.

He said there were a number of youths who were innovative not only in the political arena, but also in other spheres of life but lacked opportunities to explore their ideas and initiatives.

“As Zambia, we feel the issue of empowering young people is long overdue. We need to shift from rhetoric to action. I strongly believe that it is assemblies such as the 134th IPU which will prompt our realisation of the importance of concretising all our brilliant ideas and translating them into reality,” he said.

Zambia, as a member of the African Union (AU), has agreed with the African vision for the youth as illustrated in the African Youth Decade (2009-2018) action plan, which emphasises accelerating youth empowerment for sustainable development.

Mr Lungu said Government and the people of Zambia remained committed to enhancing democratic tenets because strong Parliaments contribute to strong democracies.

He said strong representative institutions carry, transmit and provide platforms where challenges, views and hopes of people could be discussed in a coordinated manner with a goal of finding workable solutions.

This would enable people from all walks of life including youths who face challenges such as unemployment share possible solutions.

IPU president Saber Chowdhury praised late president Michael Sata for having been an active member of IPU during his tenure as a Member of Parliament.

Mr Sata in 2012, during the UN General Assembly in New York, approached then IPU secretary general Anders Johnson to express Zambia’s interest in hosting the IPU Assembly.

Mr Chowdhury, however, challenged IPU member states to explore more ways to combat the effects of climate change affecting human development.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said in a video message to the IPU conference that governments should massively empower youths.

Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini said youths have the potential to transform countries if given chance because they were capable of bringing tangible results.