July 2001 Africa News Headlines

Monday, July 16, 2001 - Web posted at 10:00:17 GMT

Violence flares in Zambia by-election

LUSAKA - Violence flared in a Zambian parliamentary by-election involving the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and the opposition, police spokesman Lemmy Kajoba said yesterday.

The clashes began late on Friday night and continued Saturday, during campaign meetings for the by-election to be held on Tuesday in a densely populated constituency in the capital Lusaka.

"Several people were injured while government vehicles were smashed during the fracas. We have also received reports of some houses having being stoned," Kajoba told AFP.

Riot police have been dispatched to the area to control the situation, Kajoba said.

The by-election was called after former Zambian vice president Christon Tembo, who was the member of parliament for the area, resigned from the MMD to join the new opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD).

MMD national secretary Michael Sata accused the opposition of fanning the violence, which also led to the beating of a Lusaka district administrator.

- Nampa-Sapa-AFP

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