Nationality election row in Zambia

The race to be President Chiluba's successor is hotting up

The new head of a leading Zambian opposition party has repudiated a government claim that he is ineligible to stand in the country's next presidential election.

Christon Tembo was elected leader of the opposition Forum for Democracy (FDD) at the weekend, but on Monday the Zambian vice-president, Enoch Kavindele, said Mr Tembo could not contest the presidency because his parents were from Malawi.

Tembo: Facing nationailty questions (Pic: The Post)

Launching his presidential campaign, Mr Tembo told his supporters that he was a true Zambian and would not previously have held the posts of army general, cabinet minister, or have been Zambian vice-president if his nationality had been in question.

Mr Tembo was the vice-president until May, when he led a revolt within the ruling party against President Chiluba.

This followed an ultimately unsuccessful attempt by the president to seek an unconstitutional third term in office.

Elections

Five years ago, President Chiluba forced through a nationality amendment to the constitution widely seen as a means of preventing Kenneth Kaunda from running again for president - when Mr Tembo was in the government.

Elections are due to be held before the end of the year, and President Chiluba's ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy party (MMD) has been hit this year by a series of defections of ministers and MPs to the FDD.

The FDD have already won two parliamentary by-elections and President Chiluba's chosen successor, Levy Mwanawasa, who is the MMD candidate, appears far from assured of victory.