PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has expressed gratitude to outgoing UN Resident Coordinator Dr Coumba Mar Gadio for UN’s role prior, during and after the 2021 polls by persistently encouraging stakeholders to engage in a fair election and peaceful transition of power.

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Thursday, President Hichilema thanked the outgoing UN Resident Coordinator for the service she had rendered to the country.

He also thanked the UN for providing technical and financial support to various sectors.

“We met with Dr. Coumba Mar Gadio, the outgoing UN Resident Coordinator, who came to bid us farewell. We thanked her for the service she has rendered to our country. Dr. Mar Gadio’s tour of duty as Resident Coordinator for Zambia officially ends today, 14th April 2022. We expressed our heartfelt gratitude to the outgoing Resident Coordinator for the role the UN played prior, during and after the 2021 elections in Zambia, by persistently encouraging stakeholders to engage in a free and fair election, and peaceful transition of power. We also thanked the UN for providing technical and financial support to various sectors in support of our national development agenda to improve the livelihoods of our people,” stated President Hichilema.

“Having experienced brutality and human rights abuses of the past, we reiterated our resolve to ensure fairness and justice prevails to all citizens and that law and order takes precedence. We reaffirmed our commitment to continuing the process of the restoration of human rights and constitutionalism, while advocating for an uncompromising fight against corruption which is being done within the confines of the law. We wish Dr. Coumba Mar Gadio, a veteran of the UN and an accomplished diplomat, the best in her future endeavours.”