More splits in Zambia's ruling party

The good old days: Chiluba with Sata (right) (Pic: Post newspaper of Zambia)

By Anthony Kunda in Lusaka

An influential figure in the Zambian ruling party and a close aide of President Frederick Chiluba has resigned as the party's national secretary claiming the choice of Mr Chiluba's successor was fradulent.

In what has been described as a dramatic turn of political events, Michael Sata wrote to the Zambian leader, accusing him of ignoring party rules when he named outsider Levy Mwanawasa as his choice for presidential elections due later this year.

(I) would rather loose artificial honour and prestige than accept illegal proposals

Michael Sata

Mr Sata said the constitution of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy does not give the party president powers to prescribe electoral rules or to supervise party elections.

His resignation, which has taken a lot of people by surprise, comes four days after he resigned as minister without portfolio.

He has not said whether he will leave the party for a new one but it is widely expected that he will do so.

'illegal proposal'

In April over 80 senior members of the MMD, including the vice-president, formed the break-away Forum for Democracy and Development party which is being seen as a serious challenge to the MMD.

Mr Sata added that as a committed Roman Catholic, he "would rather lose" what he called "artificial honour and prestige than accept illegal proposals."

A spokesman for the government, Vernon Mwaanga, descibed his decision to leave the party as honourable as Mr Sata has never accepted Mr Mwanawasa as the party's presidential candidate.

Mr Mwaanga claimed he has received numerous phone calls from party members across the country calling Mr Sata's resignation "good riddance."

Political observers say the MMD will never be the same again, because Mr Sata has been one of its most influential leaders.