‘I serve you all’ - Lungu Amidst post-election violence, Zambia has inaugurated Edward Lungu who struck a strong conciliatory tone in his speech. Zamibian president calls for unity Edgar Lungu was inaugurated as president of Zambia on Tuesday, after a last-minute court bid by a defeated opposition candidate failed to halt the ceremony.Lungu, who first took power last year, won the August 11 election by around 100 000 votes but his opponent Hakainde Hichilema has alleged that the result was riddled with fraud.
In his inaugural speech, President Lungu told the crowd that had gathered at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka that he would serve all Zambians, including those “who did not vote for him”. He also undertook to appoint a commission of enquiry into the post-election violence which rocked the country saying that Zambians need “to learn lessons”.
He struck a strong conciliatory tone during his speech.
“What unites us is far greater than that which seeks to divide us,” he said, adding that, “The power lies in the hands of the people.”
The inauguration was attended by regional dignitaries including President Robert Mugabe of neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Hichilema, a wealthy businessman who has run five times for president, accused Lungu, the election commission and court judges of all being guilty of fraud over the vote result.
But on Monday, the supreme court rejected his final bid to delay the inauguration.
Official election results put Lungu narrowly ahead on 50.35% against 47.63% for Hichilema among a field of nine candidates - just enough to avoid a second-round run-off.
Lungu, 59, first took office last year after beating Hichilema in a snap election, and has since faced falling prices for copper - the country’s key export - soaring unemployment and inflation rising to over 20%.
Lungu has said little since the election, except to make a speech warning that “for the next five years, it will be total work, there will be no honeymoon” if Zambia is to tackle its economic problems.
The country is known for its relative stability but the election campaign was marked by clashes between supporters of Lungu’s Patriotic Front (PF) and Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND).
After the tense campaign, Zambia was peaceful on polling day and has not experienced the feared violence during a delayed vote count and subsequent court hearings.
Hichilema, 54, on Friday told his supporters to “fight to restore your democratic rights” in the wake of the election.
“From now onwards, we are not just politicians but freedom fighters and we shall ask for our rights to be heard,” he said.
Zambia last held a peaceful transfer of power to an opposition party in 2011 when Michael Sata took office.
Sata died in 2014, and the 2015 election gave Lungu the right to finish Sata’s term.
NAMPA/AFP