Edgar Lungu: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox president
| name              = Edgar Lungu
| image              = Edgar Lungu January 2015.jpg
| image_size        =
| order              = [[List of Presidents of Zambia|6th]]
| office            = President of Zambia
|vicepresident = [[Inonge Wina]]
| term_start        = 25 January 2015
| preceded          = [[Guy Scott]] {{small|(Acting President)}}<!-- Do not change this. The office was handed over to him by Scott as seen in this image: https://www.facebook.com/statehousepressofficezambia/photos/a.837971872930915.1073742008.322302104497897/837972876264148 -->
| Vice-President      = [[Inonge Wina]]
| term_end          = 
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1956|11|11|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Ndola]], [[Northern Rhodesia]]
| nationality        = Zambian
| party              = [[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]]
| spouse            = Esther Lungu
| relations          =
| children          = 6<ref name ="telegraph">{{cite news |last=Laing |first=Aislinn |date=20 January 2015 |title=Edgar Lungu, tipped as Zambia's next president, denies alcoholism claim |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zambia/11356260/Edgar-Lungu-tipped-as-Zambias-next-president-denies-alcoholism-claim.html |newspaper=Telegraph |location= |accessdate=20 January 2015 }}</ref>
| alma_mater        [[School of Law of the University of Zambia]] {{small|([[LL.B]])}}
| profession        = Lawyer
| religion          = [[Christianity]]  <!-- He used a Bible during his swearing-in ceremony https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.837971872930915.1073742008.322302104497897&type=3 -->
| blank1            = Awards
| data1              =
| signature          =
| signature_alt      =
| website            = {{URL|www.edgar-lungu.com}}
| nickname          = Ba Edigar<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edgar-lungu.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/EL-Profile_web.pdf |title= Meet Edgar C. Lungu: The Profile | format = [[PDF]] |last1= Anthony |first1= Mukwita |date=2014 |website=edgar-lungu.com |publisher= |accessdate=26 January 2015}}</ref>
}}


'''Edgar Chagwa Lungu''' (born 11 November 1956) has been the [[President of Zambia]] since January 2015. Under President [[Michael Sata]], Lungu served as Minister of Justice and Minister of Defense. Following Sata's death in October 2014, Lungu was adopted as the candidate of Sata's party, the [[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]], for the [[Zambian presidential election, 2015|January 2015 presidential by-election]]. In the election, he narrowly defeated opposition candidate [[Hakainde Hichilema]] and took office on 25 January 2015.
==Early life and career==
Lungu was born 11 November 1956 at [[Ndola]] Central Hospital. After graduating with a [[LL.B.]] in 1981 from [[University of Zambia]], he joined the law firm Andre Masiye and Company in Lusaka. He subsequently underwent [[Military officer|military officer training]] at [[Miltez]] in [[Kabwe]] under Zambia National Service (ZNS). He then returned to practising law. He then joined politics.
==Political career==
He joined the [[United Party for National Development]] under the leadership of [[Anderson Mazoka]], but later switched to the [[Patriotic Front (Zambia)|Patriotic Front]] (PF) led by party founder [[Michael Sata]].
After the PF won the 2011 election, Lungu became [[Junior Minister]] in the [[Vice President of Zambia|Vice President's]] office. He was subsequently promoted to [[Minister of Home Affairs]] on 9 July 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lusakatimes.com/2012/07/10/labour-ministry-realigned-masebo-lungu-appointed-cabinet-ministers/ |title=Labour and Tourism Ministry re-aligned again, Masebo, Lungu appointed as Cabinet Ministers|website=Lusaka Times}}</ref> He became [[Minister of Defence]] on 24 December 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zambianwatchdog.com/edgar-lungu-is-new-defense-minister/ |title=Edgar Lungu is new Defense Minister|website=Zambian Watchdog}}</ref> after [[Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba]] resigned from his ministerial post, and he functioned as Acting President during President Sata's long term illness in 2013-14. He has also held a string of central positions in his party, including Chair of the PF Central Committee on Discipline, and he became PF Secretary General and [[Minister of Justice]] on 28 August 2014 to replace [[Wynter Kabimba]], who was fired.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201408290077.html |title=Zambia: Wynter 'Bruised'.. Edgar Lungu Is New Justice Minister and PF Secretary General |website=All Africa}}</ref> These positions were in addition to the Defence portfolio.
President Sata went abroad for medical treatment on 19 October 2014, leaving Lungu in charge of the country in his absence.<ref>[http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29692576 "Zambian President Michael Sata goes for medical check-up"], BBC News, 20 October 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.africa-confidential.com/article-preview/id/5814/Party_rivalries_grow_as_Sata_ails "Party rivalries grow as Sata ails"], ''Africa Confidential'', volume 55, number 21, 24 October 2014.</ref> Sata died on 28 October 2014. Vice President [[Guy Scott]] took over as Acting President, and Lungu was viewed as one of the main contenders to ultimately succeed Sata in a presidential by-election.
On 3 November 2014, Acting President Scott dismissed Lungu as Secretary-General of the PF.<ref name="lusakageneral">[http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/11/03/guy-scott-drops-edgar-lungu-pf-secretary-general/Guy Scott drops Edgar Lungu as PF Secretary General (article apparently  moved)], ''[[Lusaka Times]]'', November 3, 2014.</ref> He replaced him with [[Davis Mwila]], the Member of Parliament for [[Chipili]].<ref name="lusakageneral"/> However, the next day, on 4 November 2014, Scott announced Lungu was to remain as Secretary-General.<ref name=NtimpaKC>[http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/11/04/guy-scott-reinstates-edgar-lungu-secretary-general-burial/ "Guy Scott reinstates Edgar Lungu as Secretary General until the burial"], ''Lusaka Times'', November 4, 2014.</ref> On 30 November 2014, Lungu was elected as President of the Patriotic Front at a national convention of the party held in Kabwe, Zambia. However the convention was unusual because no voting took place. Instead, the unaccredited delegates elected him by raising hands.
[[File:Inauguration of Edgar Lungu.jpg|thumb|A cross section of the crowd at the inauguration ceremony.]]
On 20 January 2015 Lungu contested the [[Zambian presidential election, 2015|presidential by-election]] and beat his closest rival [[Hakainde Hichilema]] of the [[United Party for National Development]] by a narrow majority of just 27,757 votes (1.66%).<ref>[http://www.elections.org.zm/results/2015_presidential_election#cm3] "The official results of the 2015 Presidential Election, as released by the ECZ"</ref> He was declared the winner by the Electoral Commission of Zambia on 24 January.<ref>NtimpaKC{{nonspecific|date=January 2015}}</ref>
==Presidency==
Lungu was sworn in as President of Zambia on 25 January 2015 at the [[National Heroes Stadium]] in the capital [[Lusaka]].<ref>Matthew Hill, [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-25/edgar-lungu-sworn-in-as-president-of-zambia-in-lusaka.html "Zambian Ruling Party's Edgar Lungu Inaugurated as President"], Bloomberg, 25 January 2015.</ref>
The following month, Lungu forced the head of the country's central bank out of office and promised lower interest rates. He appointed [[Inonge Wina]] as Zambia's first female Vice-President.<ref>Matthew Hill,[http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-13/zambian-president-names-denny-kalyalya-as-central-bank-governor-i63nj3ws "Zambia Central Bank Chief Replaced as President Vows Lower Rates"], Bloomberg, 13 February 2015.</ref>
In March 2015 Lungu collapsed while holding a speech commemorating International Women's Day in [[Lusaka]]. After spending a short while in a Zambian hospital he had an operation for his narrowed [[oesophagus]] in Pretoria, South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31795526 |title=Edgar Lungu collapse: Zambian president 'needs treatment abroad' |publisher=BBC News |date=9 March 2015 |accessdate=3 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/zambia-lungu-surgery-idUSL6N0WG02620150314 |title=Zambia's president recovering after surgery in South Africa |publisher=Reuters |date=14 March 2015 |accessdate=3 January 2016}}</ref>
Lungu commuted the death sentences of 332 prisoners to life in prison on 16 July 2015 and condemned the massive overcrowding at the [[Mukobeko]] prison, calling it "an affront to basic human dignity".<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/16/us-zambia-prison-idUSKCN0PQ18M20150716 "Zambian president gives death row inmates life sentences"], Reuters, 16 July 2015.</ref>
In October 2015, Lungu ordered a national day of prayer, to prevent further damage to his country's economy. Top religious and political officials participated, and other public events were cancelled.<ref>[http://www.rt.com/news/319018-zambia-national-prayer-currency/ "‘God have mercy on currency’: Zambia holds national prayer day to hold Kwacha from record drop"], RT, 18 October 2015.</ref>
==Personal life==
Lungu is married to Esther and has six children.<ref name=telegraph />
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* {{youtube|gUfu7f8awuE|2015 Campaign video}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Guy Scott]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Presidents of Zambia|President of Zambia]]|years=2015–present}}
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{{s-end}}
{{ZambianPresidents}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME              = Lungu, Edgar
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Chagwa
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Zambian politician
| DATE OF BIRTH    = 11 November 1956
| PLACE OF BIRTH    = Ndola, Zambia
| DATE OF DEATH    =
| PLACE OF DEATH    =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lungu, Edgar}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Defence Ministers of Zambia]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Zambia]]
[[Category:Justice Ministers of Zambia]]
[[Category:Patriotic Front politicians]]
[[Category:People from Eastern Province]]
[[Category:Presidents of Zambia]]
[[Category:University of Zambia alumni]]
[[Category:Zambian lawyers]]
[[Category:Zambian politicians]]
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