Zambia's President Declared As Acting Chief of Ruling Party

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 02, 2002

Zambia's President Declared As Acting Chief of Ruling Party

Zambia's ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Tuesday officially declared President Levy Mwananwasa as acting party chief with immediate effect.

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Zambia's ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Tuesday officially declared President Levy Mwananwasa as acting party chief with immediate effect.

At a press briefing, Vernon Mwaanga, the party's national secretary, said Mwananwasa was ratified as acting party president during a party meeting at State House Monday evening.

Except for national chairperson for women's affairs, Regina Mwanza, all the 37 members of the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) attended the meeting, he said.

"Everybody supported the idea of Mwananwasa taking over in an acting capacity," Mwaanga said, adding Mwananwasa attended the meeting and formally accepted the appointment.

Analysts said Mwananwasa's confirmation is expected to put to rest months of internal wrangling in the MMD arising from perceived divided loyalties between Mwananwasa and Frederick Chiluba, the country's former president.

On March 9, its was announced that Chiluba had stepped down, prompting the party to convene an informal meeting which unanimously recommended Mwananwasa take over to resolve a succession feud.

After last week's informal NEC meeting, MMD vice president Enoch Kavindele said Mwananwasa's elevation to the party throne was the only way the burning issue of divided loyalty could be checked.

Mwananwasa, who was until Monday the party's trustee, was firstelevated to the position of party chief.

Following the endorsement of Mwananwasa, an extraordinary partyconvention is expected to take place within three months.

Constitutionally, the party's vice president should have taken over in an acting position but the NEC felt doing so would be an extension of an already sensitive problem.

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