Chiluba accepts top minister’s resignation

Zambian President Frederick Chiluba on Friday accepted the resignation of Michael Sata, a senior minister who quit the government under pressure from ruling party supporters, AFP reported. Quoting a state radio news broadcast, the report said Chiluba had not named Sata’s replacement. Sata, who was minister without portfolio and a close aide to Chiluba, was also national secretary of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD). He resigned from his cabinet post on Thursday hours after MMD supporters staged a demonstration against him, the report said. The demonstrators accused Sata of disorganising the party by campaigning against MMD presidential candidate Levy Mwanawasa. Sata was among six people aspiring to be MMD presidential candidates, but the party settled for Mwamawasa after conducting elections within the party national executive, according to the report. It said that immediately after the vote, Sata complained that the election had been rigged.