/ 25 September 2001

ZAMBIAN POLITICIAN THROWS IN THE TOWEL

THE national secretary of Zambia’s Ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Michael Sata, resigned from the party on Monday, four days after he quit his top ministerial position. “He tendered his resignation from the party this afternoon,” said his representative Eddie Lifwekelo. According to Lifwekelo, Sata resigned from the party in protest against the manner in which MMD chose ex-vice president Levy Mwanawasa as the party’s presidential candidate, without following the electoral rules. “He said he cannot campaign for Mwanawasa in this year’s presidential elections,” Lifwekelo said. Last week, about 100 young supporters of MMD staged a protest march in the streets of Lusaka against Sata, whom they accused of discrediting the party’s presidential candidate. Hours after the protest, Sata resigned from government as minister without portfolio, a third highest position in the country. – AFP