João Lourenço congratulates President-elect of Zambia

In a message released by the Civil House of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço said he is sure that the victory achieved in the presidential elections of 12 August "translates the will and hope of the Zambian people in a leadership that actively and dynamically increases all initiatives capable of promoting the realization of the great interests of the Zambian nation to the progress, development and prosperity" of the country.

"It is our great expectation that, during your Excellency's mandate, the Republic of Angola and the Republic of Zambia will continue to work towards intensifying the implementation of cooperation actions of mutual interest, which will contribute to the strengthening of historic relations of friendship existing between the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Angola, aiming at the growth and well-being of our two peoples", stressed Lourenço.

The head of state expressed the hope that Hakainde Hichilema "will have the greatest success in fulfilling the noble mission for which he was elected, by choice of the Zambian people".

Zambia's still president, Edgar Lungu, admitted defeat in the presidential election, congratulating his longtime rival, 59-year-old businessman Hakainde Hichilema, on the electoral victory.

The businessman, also known as "HH" or "Bally", defeated the incumbent President, Edgar Lungu, who has governed the country since 2015, by nearly one million votes, in a ballot that registered a high turnout.

Hichilema, from the United Party for National Development (UPND), won a total of 2,801,757 votes, against 1,814,201 for Lungu, from the Patriotic Front (PF), the electoral commission said.
This was the third time that Hichilema faced Lungu at the polls. In 2016, he lost by just 100,000 votes.

The turnout of more than 70 percent of the population confirmed the enthusiasm for these elections, during which some polling stations remained open until 5:00 am, to allow voters who had been waiting in lines since late afternoon to vote.

Elections took place on 12 August, with more than seven million Zambians being called to the polls to vote for their President for the next five years, as well as for mayors and deputies, in an unpredictable ballot that took place in a context of crisis. economic.