Zambian leader outlines achievements, asks for fresh mandate

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday outlined achievements the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) has made in its first five years in power, and asked voters to give it another mandate during this year's presidential, legislative and local government polls.

In his state of the nation address following the coming to an end of the five-year rule since the PF assumed power, Lungu said he was happy that the party has fulfilled the promises made in the run up to the 2011 polls.

"As president of the Patriotic Front and this great republic, I am, therefore, proud of this record. You can be assured that you did not misplace your confidence and trust in me and the Patriotic Front," he said during the press conference which was live on state television.

"With this impressive performance over the last five years, you can surely trust me and the Patriotic Front, therefore, not to gamble with the choice of your next president and the party in government," he added.

Lungu, who assumed office after winning last year's presidential election necessitated by the death of President Michael Sata, the founding leader of the party, noted that his administration has demonstrated its resolve to continue with the pledges of the party's founder by fulfilling the promises made in 2011.

Zambia will hold presidential, legislative and local government polls on August 11, and the parliament has since been dissolved. Ministers will however continue working despite opposition from stakeholders that it was against the constitution.

Campaigns for the polls will officially kick-off on May 16, according to the country's electoral body.

The ruling party had campaigned on the promises of ensuring massive infrastructure development, lower taxes, more money in people's pockets and the deliverance of a new constitution.

Lungu said the government has "walked the talk" by providing an amended constitution which he assented to on Jan. 5, 2016 as well as rolled out massive infrastructure development projects.

According to him, the government's decision to prioritize infrastructure development as a key strategy for sustained development has resulted in the country becoming a massive construction site.

The construction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects in the health and education sectors has resulted in improvements in the delivery of services to the country and opened up areas that were not inaccessible, the president added.

He further said the last five years has seen robust economic development, resulting in strong economic growth of around six to seven percent while poverty levels have reduced from 60.5 percent in 2010 to 54.4 percent in 2015.

While acknowledging the economic challenges that hit the country last year following a drop in commodity prices on the international market, Lungu said the economy will grow at 3.7 percent, indicating the success of the diversification program to move the economy away from copper dependence.

On investment, he said the country has recorded sustained increase in Foreign Direct Investment in the past five years due to improved investment climate, noting that investment increased from 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in 2011 to 1.6 billion dollars in 2015.

"When I assumed power amid daunting challenges such as fuel, fertilizer and drugs shortages, I quietly prodded my colleagues in cabinet that it is our responsibility to solve these problems. That is exactly what we did," said the president.

"Today I can announce that we have built reasonable fuel stock levels; ended drug shortages and revolutionized agriculture input distribution and marketing arrangements. Zambians are trusting us that we are able to run agriculture competently and thereby assuring them of food security," he added.

Source: XINHUA