US President says young Zambians harnessed power of vote

DIANA CHIPEPO, Lusaka

WITH the outcome of the August 12 general election, which ushered in Hakainde Hichilema as the country’s seventh President, being decided largely by young voters, United States President Joe Biden yesterday reserved some special recognition for Zambian youth.

Mr Biden, the 46th US President, who took over from Donald Trump, praised the Zambian youth for turning up in record numbers for the first time on August 12 to cast their votes.

Figures from Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) indicate that some 54 percent of the voters who registered to vote in the August 12 general election were 34 years or younger. Voter turnout from the 7,023,499 registered voters stood at 70 percent.

In his speech at the on-going 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Biden, 78, praised the resilience of the young people of Zambia for harnessing the power of the vote.

"Democracy lives on in the young people of Zambia, who harnessed the power of the vote, turning out in record numbers to denounce corruption and chart a new path for their country,” 

Mr Biden, who sent a high-powered delegation led by acting director of the United States Trade and Development Agency in the State Department Enoh Ebong for President Hichilema’s inauguration, said.

"Democracy lives in peaceful protesters, human rights advocates, journalists, women fighting for freedom among others in countries like Belarus, Zambia, Syria and Cuba.”

President Hichilema is elated with Mr Biden’s remarks saying his administration echoes his sentiments.

He is looking forward to productive conversations with the Biden administration while in the United States.“We welcome President Biden’s recognition of the role that Zambia’s youth played in upholding and defending democracy in our country,” President Hichilema said.

While in the US, the President will also travel to Washington D.C for a meeting with US Vice-President Kamala Harris among other engagements.

President Hichilema, who is among more than 100 heads of State and Government attending the General Assembly physically, was among the speakers scheduled to give their keynote addresses yesterday.

Special Assistant to the President and Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya said in a press statement yesterday that the President in his maiden speech was to focus on a wide range of issues affecting Zambia and the globe while seeking interventions.

eanwhile, President Hichilema has underscored the importance of education as the key to building a prosperous nation.

The President said expanded access to quality education will effectively be achieved after the resolution of the debt crisis that will create access capacity to support the education sector.

"Expanded access to quality education for all is not and shall not remain a rare privilege for a few, but a basic necessity which must be made available to all citizens,” he said. “This is consistent with our agenda to create a knowledge-based economy for the future.”

Mr Bwalya said President Hichilema said his administration is determined to resolve the rampant corruption that has seen resources being diverted away from productive sectors of the economy such as education to pockets of a small group of corrupt elements.

Hichilema, since his election, has raised a strong stance in the fight against corruption.

The new administration has set out measures aimed at winning the war against corruption, among them the political will for all law enforcement agencies to function independently with adequate financial support.

President Hichilema, during his inaugural address in Parliament, also revealed that his administration will set up fast track recovery mechanisms for corruption.

Other key transformations to the fight against corruption include the drive to reform public procurement to a system that will meet key requirements which include right contract price or cost through market benchmarking, quality of goods and services, as well as timely delivery.

"Once the Government succeeds at implementing these measures, we are assured that more and more Zambians will progressively begin to experience the reality of accessing quality education on an equitable basis,” he said.

President Hichilema is expected to pay a courtesy call on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders including President of the European Council Charles Michel.

From yesterday to September 27, heads of State and Government will be addressing the General Assembly in a hybrid format combining in-person and online speeches.