RUSSIAN ENVOY QUESTIONS DEMOCRACY SUMMIT

RUSSIAN Ambassador to Zambia, Azim Yarakhmedov has described as a strange event, the Summit for Democracy that was organised by the United States (US) in December 2021 and which will be held again this year in Zambia.

Meanwhile, Mr Yarakhmedov says relations between Zambia and Russia require a certain new dynamic for further development despite the rich history of friendly ties between the two countries.

Mr Yarakhmedov told the Daily Nation that the organisers of the Summit for Democracy claim the leading position in the promotion of democracy and human rights across the world.

“However, the “track record” and reputation of the USA, Great Britain, and most of the EU countries, regarding democratic rights and freedoms at home and abroad, leave much to be desired, to say it mildly,” Mr Yaramkhmedov said.

He was replying to a query from Millennium Television on Russia’s relations with Zambia as well as views on the upcoming summit.

On March 29 to March 30, 2023, the US will co-host the second Summit for Democracy with the governments of Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Zambia. The second Summit for Democracy will assemble world leaders in a virtual plenary format, followed by gatherings in each of the co-hosted countries with representatives from government, civil society, and the private sector.

Mr Yaramkhmedov said facts and history of relations of these countries with others, especially with African countries and peoples, showed that they could not act as “beacons” of democracy because they themselves had deeply ingrained problems with freedom of speech, electoral systems, corruption, and human rights.

“For example, it is known that the USA does not have independent media. Party and corporate elites de facto determine the editorial policy of the largest western media. Well-functioning mechanisms of censorship and content removal are in place to suppress dissent on the Internet, like how it was done with former President Donald Trump.

“Or let’s look at another example. The USA, which claim the role of the “global leader of democracy,” for many years in a row hold a leading position for population imprisoned (more than 2 million people) and conditions in prisons violate human dignity,” Mr Yaramkhmedov said.

He said the prison in Guantanamo still functioned and Washington continued to create secret prisons on foreign soil.

Mr Yaramkhmedov said capital punishment was still being practiced in many states of the US.

“The list can go on and it applies to other so-called leaders of democracy such as France and Britain. The people of Africa have intimate knowledge of the role of these democratic countries in Rwandan genocide and in the killing of civilians in Iraq, Libya and Syria. Against this background, the democratic rhetoric of Washington and Western capitals seems out of touch with reality. One should get his own house in order before it starts to “export democracy,” he said.

On Zambia’s participation, Mr Yaramkhmedov said Zambia had the full right to call itself a democratic republic.

He said Zambia systematically strengthened democratic values in social conscience, the transfer of power after parliamentary and presidential elections was conducted democratically and courts hold an important role.

“Taking into account the existing opportunities, conditions have been created for respect for human rights and freedoms, Christian values are promoted and other religions are respected, the country participates in the peacekeeping operations in Africa. I also cannot ignore the fact that presidential decrees of President Hichilema of December 2022 are the true acts of a democratic state. I mean the laws that abolished death penalty and criminal defamation of a head of state

“Honestly, although I do not like when someone divides countries and peoples into democratic and undemocratic, because only the UN – the international collective authority – has that right, “he said.

Mr Yaramkhmedov said he is glad that Lusaka will co-host the “so-called” Summit and expressed confidence that the USA and other western countries would have something to learn from Zambia about democracy.