Zambia's largest opposition party to elect new leader ahead of polls

Zambia's largest opposition party has set July 13 and 14 as the dates for the general assembly at which its new president will be elected after the former leader Anderson Mazoka died two months ago in a South African clinic.

Patrick Chisanga, spokesman for the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), said the race for the successor of Mazoka would be mainly between acting president Sakwiba Sikota and Lusaka businessman Hakainde Hichilema.

Chisanga however noted that the list of delegates were still being compiled and the venue of the general assembly would be made known later this week, according to Sunday's Zambia Daily Mail.

Zambia is scheduled to hold general elections later this year and the death of Mazoka, who lost narrowly to the current President Levy Mwanawasa during the 2001 polls, was described as a"big blow" to the opposition.

Internal wrangles within the opposition party arose after Mazoka's death as aspiring candidates have failed to agree on who should contest the president representing the party during the polls.

Analysts say Mazoka's death also weakened the strength of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) which was formed by UPND and two other opposition parties early this year to field a candidate to challenge Mwanawasa in the forthcoming elections.

Source: Xinhua