The Diplomat
The Spanish government yesterday congratulated Zambia’s new president, opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema, and praised the “democratic spirit” shown by Zambians, which has allowed a peaceful transfer of power from the outgoing president, Edgar Lungu.
A communiqué issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulates Hichilema, who took office yesterday after beating Lungu in the 12 August elections, and wishes the “best success to the new government”.
The Spanish government stresses that the elections, which were also parliamentary and local elections, were held in a “complex context” marked by the economic crisis and the pandemic and “have demonstrated the profound democratic spirit of the Zambian people, marking a political alternation and respect for the institutions that bear witness to the solidity of democracy in Zambia”.
Finally, the communiqué expresses the Spanish government’s desire to “continue to deepen and strengthen” relations between the two countries “in a spirit of solidarity and with the confidence that this new stage will allow us to face the shared challenges and challenges for the benefit of the well-being and prosperity of our respective peoples”.
