LEVY MWANAWASA

'Levy Patrick Mwanawasa' (born September 3, 1948) has served as the President of Zambia since 2002.

Contents

Early life

Accident

Politics

2001 elections

2006 elections

Personal life

References

Early life

Mwanawasa was born in Mufulira, the second of 10 children. He holds a law degree from the University of Zambia. He worked in private law firms from 1974 until 1978 when he formed his own firm Mwanawasa & Company. In 1985 Mwanawasa served as Solicitor General in the Zambian government but he went back to private practice in 1986. President Frederick Chiluba appointed Mwanawasa Vice-President in December 1991. He left his firm in March 1992.

Accident

On December 8, 1991 Mwanawasa was involved in a serious traffic accident in which his aide died on the spot. He suffered multiple body injuries and was flown to Johannesburg, South Africa for medical treatment. He remained hospitalized for three months. A lasting effect of the accident is his noticeably slurred speech.

Politics

Mwanawasa served as vice-president until he resigned in 1994, citing gross abuse of office and corruption by some leaders and insubordination to him by some colleagues. In 1996 he unsuccessfully contested Chiluba for the presidency of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy. He lost. He retired from active politics again.

2001 elections

In August 2000 the National Executive Committee of MMD elected Mwanawasa as its presidential candidate for the 2001 election. He won the election, held on December 27, 2001, with only 29% due to Zambia's first past the post system, beating 10 other candidates including two other former vice presidents (Godfrey Miyanda and Gen. Christon Tembo); Anderson Mazoka came in a close second with 27%, according to official results. Mwanawasa took office on January 2 2002. However, the results of the elections were disputed by main opposition parties, including Mazoka's United Party for National Development, which many observers claim had actually won the elections.^[2] Both domestic and international election monitors cited serious irregularities with the campaign and election, including vote rigging, flawed voter registration, unequal and biased media coverage, and the MMD's improper use of state resources. In January 2002, three opposition candidates petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn Mwanawasa's victory. While the court agreed that the poll was flawed, it ruled in February 2005 that the irregularities did not affect the results and declined the petition.^[3]
In January 2005, Mwanawasa apologized to the nation for failing to tackle Zambian poverty. About 75% of the country's population live on less than $1 a day,^[4] the United Nations' indicator of absolute poverty.

2006 elections

Mwanawasa ran for a second term in the presidential election held on September 28, 2006; Michael Sata was considered his main challenger. His re-election was confirmed on October 2; according to official results, he received 43% of the vote. He was sworn in for another term on October 3.^[5] A few days later, he named a new cabinet and appointed Rupiah Banda as vice-president.^[6]

Personal life

Mwanawasa is married to Maureen Mwanawasa and they have four children: Chipokota, Matolo, Lubona and Ntembe. He also has two other children (Miriam and Patrick) from his first marriage.^[7] His wife was a baptized member of the Jehovah's Witnesses but has since been disfellowshiped, because of her active role in politics. It is against the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses to take part or sides in politics.
I has been reported in March 2005 that Mwanawasa himself was baptised. "The president of Zambia, in acknowledging his faith in Jesus Christ, recently was baptized in a public service, Southern Baptist missionaries report.
A crowd clapped and cheered as President Levy Mwanawasa (mwah-nah-WAH-sah) rose from the water in an outdoor baptistery behind a Baptist seminary chapel in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. The event drew hundreds of people, including public officials, leaders and pastors from the area and neighboring countries.
"This baptism was an incredible occasion for the Baptist witness to many people who we have not had in church before," said Troy Lewis, a Southern Baptist missionary in the southern African nation of more than 10 million people. "They heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ." "

References

1. http://www.statehouse.gov.zm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=88&Itemid=57
2. Zambia's Fourth Democratic Elections: A Country of Minority Governments--By Tiens Kahenya, UPND Secretary General
3. Freedom in the World - Zambia (2006).
4. "I failed Zambia, says president", BBC News, January 10, 2005.
5. Joseph J. Schatz, "Mwanawasa Sworn in As Zambia President", Associated Press, October 3, 2006.
6. Shapi Shacinda, "Mwanawasa warns challenger, names new cabinet", Reuters, October 9, 2006.
7. http://www.africa-ata.org/za_president.htm