| | The October 1996 presidential and legislative elections are going to be a closely contested battle. Former republican President Kaunda's election as leader of the country's main opposition party - the United National Independence Party (UNIP) - on 28 June 1995 not only sent shivers through the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) government and attracted widespread interest among the Zambian public, but has also aroused a lot of excitement among Zambian political observers in the run up to the poll. In view of the general disaffection and disillusionment among the Zambian public with the MMD's performance in office coupled with the deep divisions in the three major political parties, Kaunda's return to active politics has been viewed as a threat to the MMD government and the fragile opposition, who are increasingly showing signs of paranoia in the run up to the poll. |
