LUSAKA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Saturday was declared leader of the ruling party after going through unopposed at the party's general conference held virtually.
The Zambian leader was declared winner during the Patriotic Front (PF) elective conference after all provincial executive committees unanimously endorsed him.
The endorsements were done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Returning Officer Noel Simwanza declared the Zambian leader as the leader of the ruling party, which sent ululations by party supporters who had gathered at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in Lusaka, the country's capital.
The election of Lungu means that he becomes the ruling party's presidential candidate in the August 12 general elections.
And speaking when he opened the general conference, the Zambian leader said he was proud of what has been achieved in the last five years of being in power.
He said he was happy to see the entrepreneurial spirit exhibited by citizens, adding that local people were working side by side with foreigners in the country's development.
"I was given a five-year mandate as president of the Republic of Zambia. My promise to the Zambian people was socio-economic diversification, poverty reduction, and promotion of meaningful participation of Zambians in their economy, as entrepreneurs and workers. Countrymen and women, five years down the line what puts a smile on my face when I drive around the country is the determination by our people to work hard so that they put food on the table," he said. Enditem