Zambia's ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy Friday adopted a resolution that chooses incumbent President Levy Mwanawasa as its presidential candidate for the 2006 general elections.

The resolution was adopted at the party's ongoing national convention that elected Mwanawasa as the MMD president Thursday night.

"I now declare the resolution adopted and Mwanawasa will be our party's sole presidential candidate for the upcoming elections," MMD national secretary Vernon Mwaanga announced.

Mwanawasa, who had been the party's acting president for two and half years before the convention, clinched 1,211 votes in the elections, a clear victory over MMD vice-president and former national vice-president Enock Kavindele, who managed to get only 68 votes.

Analysts here said the resolution and his election as the party leader is a clear victory for Mwanawasa that will pave the way for his second term as the national president.

Mwanawasa, 58, took the office of the president in early 2002.

He was facing a divided party before the convention, thanks to his anti-corruption campaign that has sent former president and MMD leader Frederick Chiluba and a number of senior officials on trial for corruption.

The party was further divided before the convention.

Following a probe into corruption practices in connection with election campaign by a special tribunal, the National Executive Committee (NEC) decided to freeze the position of vice-president.

National Secretary Mwaanga was reprimanded for accepting a vehicle from Austin Chewe, one of the candidate for MMD vice- president.

Chewe himself was expelled from the party, while over 30 other party officials from nationwide were suspended.

In his acceptance speech, Mwanawasa thanked party members for their support and urged them to elect a new NEC that will share his vision.

Mwanawasa's sole challenger, Kavindele, however, said the results of the elections are not acceptable.

He said the 1,300 delegates to the convention were not chosen in accordance to the party's constitution and that the voting of ballots by provinces was designed to intimidate the voters.

He claimed that there is dissatisfaction among the majority of the party members. Kavindele, however, said he will remain together with party and shall make himself available should the party need his service.

Source: Xinhua