UNITED States President Joe Biden says democracy lives in the young people of Zambia who used the power of their vote and turned up in record numbers to denounce corruption and channel a new path for their country.

And President Hakainde Hichilema says he welcomes President Biden’s recognition of the role which Zambia’s youth played in upholding and defending democracy.

Addressing the 76th Session of the United National General Assembly, Tuesday, President Biden said democracy remained the best tool to unleash the full human potential.

“The future belongs to those who embrace human dignity, not trample them. The future belongs to those who unleash the potential of people, not those who stifle it. The future belongs to those who give their people the ability to breathe free, not those who seek to suffocate the people with an iron hand. The authoritarianism in the world seeks to proclaim the end of democracy but they are wrong. The truth is the democratic world is everywhere, it lives in the anti-corruption activists, human rights defenders, the journalists, the peace protestors and the frontline to this struggle in Belarus, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela and everywhere in between. It lives in the brave women of Sudan who withstood violence and oppression to push genocide of dictators from power and who keep working everyday to defend their democratic progress,” said President Biden.

“It lives in the Moldovans who hope to deliver a landslide victory for the forces of democracy with a mandate to fight graft to build a more inclusive economy. It lives in the young people of Zambia who harness the power of their vote for the first time turning out in record numbers to denounce corruption and channel a new path for their country. And while no democracy is perfect, including the United States who continue to struggle to live up to the highest ideals to heal our divisions, democracy remains the best tool we have to unleash our full human potential. My fellow leaders, this is a moment where we must prove ourselves, the equals of those who came before us with vision and values and determine faith in our collective future build our United Nations.”

And reacting to the recognition in a Facebook post, Tuesday, President Hichilema said he looked forward to productive conversations with President Biden’s administration while in the United States.

“We welcome President Biden’s recognition of the role that Zambia’s youth played in upholding and defending democracy in our country. As the President said in his address to the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, ’Democracy lives on in the young people of Zambia who harnessed the power of the vote, turning out in record numbers to denounce corruption and chart a new path for their country’ We echo these words, and look forward to productive conversations with President Biden’s administration while we are here in the United States,” stated President Hichilema.