From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: ZAMBIA: KAUNDA STEPS DOWN AS UNIP PRESIDENT,
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 19:10:51 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ZAMBIA: KAUNDA STEPS DOWN AS UNIP PRESIDENT, BITTER AND DEJECTED


an inter press service

by fred chela

lusaka, oct 2 (ips) -- after 33 years at the helm of zambian
politics, kenneth kaunda has stepped down as president of the
united national independence party (unip).

since he founded the party in 1959 to spearhead the struggle
for independence, kaunda has presided over zambia's political
affairs with charismatic mastery and political juggling.

when 68-year-old kaunda stepped down this week as the
president of unip, it was the end of an era for kaunda who had
ruled this southern african country for 27 years until a
humiliating electoral defeat in multi-party polls last october.

kaunda is bitter and frustrated. in a farewell address to the
unip national congress sep. 27, he said multi-party democracy is
bad for africa, ''a very sad development for all self-respecting
nationalists''.

''today we sit here and meet whilst we lick our wounds,
wounds inflicted upon us by an ideology of globalisation.

the former zambian head of state accused president frederick
chluba's ruling movement for multi-party democracy (mmd) of
failing to uphold the rule of law and promised unip will work to
get back to power.

the doyen of zambian politics cast aspersion on the mmd,
saying: ''it is composed of cheats and thieves. it is beginning
to crumble and zambians are witnessing its fall now''.

zambians had expected a reconciliatory farewell speech from
kaunda who had recently been named ''founding father of the
nation''.

''dr kaunda, as a founding father of the nation, should be
accorded the due respect befitting a former head of state'',
president chiluba said recently. (more/ips)


zambia: kaunda (2)

but with memories of his defeat at the hands of his foe
still lingering, kaunda could not hide his anger. the mmd, cried
kaunda, ''are selling the land to foreigners (through its
privatisation programme). they are courting bloodshed''.

if kaunda had expected solace from the unip congress, he got
the opposite. violence marked the five-day meeting, and police
had to called in to quell disturbances between rival groups
vying for power.

kaunda however succeeded in ensuring that the new unip
leadership were his chosen men.

the line-up for the unip presidency included secretary-
general kebby musokotwane, former political detainee godwin
yoram mumba, mbambo siyanga (former works and supply minister)
and natural scientist beriate chipili sunkutu.

but the real ''combat'' was between musokotwane, a former
diplomat, and mumba, a lusaka businessperson. their vigorous
search for presidential votes -- ''by hook and crook'' -- threw
the congress into chaos, and almost split the unip.

''this is a sad chapter marking my departure from the
political partisan scene'', kaunda said. ''it is shameful for
party leaders to fight in public like that. it is savage and
damaging to the well-being of unip''.

perhaps in the respect of the ''father of the nation'', the
congress proceeded in a ''cool'' but subdued atmosphere and
completed its business thursday.

musokotwane, backed by kaunda and the unip party machine
polled a massive 4,590 votes to become party president. his
nearest rival, mumba scored 106.

gen malimba masheke, prime minister in kaunda's last
government became party chair, polling 2,410, against the 705
votes won by the current leader of the opposition in parliament,
dingiswayo banda.

another general and former foreign minister, benjamin
mibenge, is the new party secretary-general, polling 1019.

in his acceptance speech, musokotwane promised the mmd
government an intense political fight. (end/ips/fc/apc/oa/92)