LUNGU COMMITTED TO NATIONAL DIALOGUE
Edgar Lungu has declared that he is committed to the broad-based constitutional, legal, and electoral reforms designed to bring about a more open and tolerant political dispensation and national dialogue. WE are committed to the broad-based constitutional, legal, and electoral reforms designed to bring about a more open and tolerant political dispensation all round, as well as the national dialogue, says President Edgar Lungu.
In his New Year’s Eve message last evening, President Lungu noted that political players wasted a lot of time bickering after the closely contested 2016 general elections, but that most of the post-election challenges had been resolved, though he was quick to call for collective responsibility, going forward.
Mr Lungu however said his Government had no more time to waste on trivialities because people wanted tangible progress and should not be subjected to fruitless arguments. He said he will continue promoting a conducive political environment through dialogue, peaceful resolution of disputes and upholding the rights and freedoms of citizens.
“It has been a challenging one year coming out of a tightlycontested general election that heightened the political tension for a considerable portion of the year. We lost a lot of time getting the country back to work. I am glad that most of the post-election problems have been resolved but we still have a collective responsibility to transform these challenges into good lessons.
“We must all come to national dialogue in good faith for the sake of mother Zambia. Personally, and we in the PF, pledge full support to any credible process of dialogue. We are not prepared to lose any more time on political trivialities,” President Lungu said.
And President Lungu has described 2017 as a successful year economically as the country was closing the calendar with a projected GDP growth rate of 4.2 percent compared to 3.8 percent registered 2016.
He said in 2018, Government will work towards growing the economy by at least 5 percent and maintaining a stable exchange rate and a singledigit inflation rate. This will be in addition to strengthening domestic revenue collection and accelerating economic diversification to create new jobs and more wealth.
Meanwhile, President Lungu expressed concern over the pace of farming inputs distribution and has since directed those tasked with the responsibility to do more to get the seed and fertiliser to all parts of the country.