HH PLEDGES PEACE,OPTS TO UNITE NATION

By SIMON MUNTEMBA and KALOBWE BWALYA PRESIDENT-ELECT Hakainde Hichilema has urged Zambians and UPND members in particular to put the past behind and embrace love, peace and forgiveness. The President-elect also said his new administration would quickly reconcile the nation and focus on rebuilding the nation. Mr Hichilema said there would be no retribution of political opponents under his administration, which would promote friendly association of people with different opinions. Addressing the media at his home in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Hichilema said with the election behind them, there would be need for the citizens to come together as “One Zambia, One Nation.” He said Zambians, both opposition and ruling party, should ensure that love becomes the building block that will accelerate the country’s commitment of achieving reconciliation. Mr Hichilema urged the UPND members who were demonised by the previous regime to seek reconciliation rather than revenge. “Now is the time to move forward, beyond the partisanship of the election period towards a more prosperous and more united future. Let us put the past behind us, for it is what we do now, in the present, that will define our future,” Mr Hichilema said. He also warned the UPND members against damaging property and violence against their political opponents, the PF members. Mr Hichilema said he will rule Zambia without selectivism, regardless of where a citizen was coming from and who his or her parents were as the values of inclusivity, equality and diversity would be at the core of his administration. Mr Hichilema who thanked the out-going President Edgar Lungu for conceding defeat, said he would not witch-hunt but treat him with the respect befitting the former head of State. “Thank you, President Edgar Lungu. And don’t worry, you will be okay sir,” he said. He also promised a new dawn involving freedom of association and assembly and emphasised that there would be freedom of the media, “To our competitors, we thank you for your participation in these elections. To you we pledge to foster a better democracy where your voices and your democratic rights are freely exercised,” he said.