Global Democracy Summit Kicks Off In Lusaka

Yesterday, the second global annual democracy summit opened in Lusaka. The summit will see the joining of five countries to discuss policies to strengthen global democracy.

The summit will be hosted over two days and will be co-hosted by the US, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia.

The theme of this year’s summit is Free, fair and transparent elections as the foundation of democratic governance.

President Hakainde Hichilema kicked off the summit with a speech highlighting the importance of strengthening government institutions.

He said, "We should ask ourselves: what is it that we need? Strong leaders or strong institutions? Or both?" 

Each session will be led by one of the five hosting nations with 22 African states following on the ground in Lusaka.

The sessions will include calls to address challenges surrounding post-election disputes, conflicts, and illegal migration. 

In his closing remarks, President Hichilema explained the importance of supporting democracy, he stated, "We should continue nursing democracy,"