Zambia, Malawi, torch bearers of democracy in Africa

Presidents of Malawi and Zambia have acknowledged their trendsetting practices in upholding tenets of democracy in Africa.

President Edgar Lungu and his Malawian counterpart Peter Mutharika observed that their ability to successfully hold democratic elections should be emulated by other countries on the African continent.

Mr. Lungu said the two countries have shown that they are not only linked in culture and language but also in enhancing democracy.

“Both Malawi and Zambia have set standards in democracy and we are proud to be your neighbours,” he said.

President Lungu said there was always a tendency for some countries to influence their neighbours in a negative way.

“But you are not such a neighbour. You are one of the neighbours we look to in terms of comparing notes,” President Lungu told Professor Mutharika when to two held bilateral talk in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia yesterday.

He has since asked President Mutharika to interact with him on matters that will further deepen the two countries’ political, social and economic development.

And Prof. Mutharika has congratulated Mr. Lungu for winning the recent presidential election in Zambia.

He also congratulated the people of Zambia for peacefully and democratically electing a president.

“I wish to congratulate my brother for winning the election, a tough one. It was done very well, gentlemanly, no mudslinging and I think that is where Africa should be going,” he said.

President Mutharika said it was gratifying that losing candidates accepted the results without dragging the winner to court.

He said his country was always keen to follow events that were happening in Zambia because they were worth emulating.

Prof. Mutharika and Mr. Lungu are both in Addis Ababa attending the 24^th African Union summit, whose theme is ‘Year of women empowerment and development in Africa toward agenda 2063’.