MMD rejects early poll call

Zambia’s ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) has rejected calls by Kenneth Kaunda’s United National Independence Party (UNIP) to hold presidential and parliamentary elections before the end of the year, news reports said. Vernon Mwaanga, the MMD’s chairman for information and publicity, was quoted as saying the next general elections would be held in 2001 as constitutionally scheduled. “Calls for early elections are totally unjustified and uncalled for,” he said. Mwaanga was reportedly responding to a call by ex-president Kaunda to the MMD to hold early polls because of the ruling party’s perceived failure to manage the country, which he said had resulted in the collapse of industries, including the agricultural sector. Kaunda was also reported to have called for a donor squeeze until a “responsible” government was put in place.