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———-President Edgar Lungu has said he will endeavour to have an inclusive cabinet in order to unite the country.
Mr. Lungu said an inclusive cabinet will further promote good governance and enhance democracy in Zambia.
He noted that good governance cannot take place where there is no unity.
President Lungu said this during a bilateral meeting he held with United States of America (USA) Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda Thoma-Greenfield on the margins of the on-going 24th African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa yesterday.
He said to enhance unity, he would appoint some flexible members of opposition political parties and work together with them in parliament.
“I will try to pick a few colleagues from the opposition and see whether they can work with us in parliament and through them know which areas they think can be improved upon in enhancing democracy and governance,” Mr Lungu told Ms. Thoma-Greenfield.
The President further said he has so far started the process by appointing Solwezi Central Member of Parliament, Dawson Kafwaya, from the United Party for National Development (UPND) to be North-Western Province Minister.
President Lungu said Zambia has had smooth political power transitions from one party state to pluralism, one President within a political party to another and from one political party to a different one throughout history.
He has thanked the US government for rendering support to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) to hold the January 20, 2015 presidential by-elections.
He has since asked the US government to continue supporting the country in areas that promote good governance and unity.
And United States of America (USA) Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda Thoma-Greenfield said Zambians should be proud of themselves for having peaceful elections and smooth power transitions throughout history.
Ms. Thoma-Greenfield said her country spends sleepless night about certain countries when they are about to hold election but has never been worried about Zambia.
“I have never heard anyone worried about violence in Zambia. This is the best for me because elections are high on our agenda. To have election go so well is just extra ordinary and you really have so much to be proud of,” she said.
In a related development, President Lungu has assured China that the over 50 years-long relations which that country has had with Zambia will continue even under his administration.
Mr. Lungu said China has been helping Zambia to overcome many challenges for over 50 years now.
He said this when he held bilateral talks in Addis Ababa with Chinese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zang Ming.
Earlier, Mr. Ming said the late President Sata, just like his predecessors, was a very good friend of China who contributed to the growth of the two countries’ bilateral relations.
Other bilateral meetings President Lungu has held on the sidelines of the on-going AU summit in Addis Ababa are with the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta and President of Ghana John Mahama.
The President also held private talks with United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon and African Union Commission Chairperson, Nkosazan Dlamini-Zuma.
