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Zambian main opposition leader gets backing ahead of August polls

Xinhua, March 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The leader of Zambia's main opposition UPND, Hakainde Hichilema, has gotten the backing of some politicians from another opposition MMD, ahead of this August's presidential elections.

Hakainde Hichilema, leader of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), was endorsed by 12 lawmakers from the opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), the former governing party.

The lawmakers announced that they "joined the UPND" during a press briefing in the capital Lusaka on Monday.

They include Deputy Minister of Justice, Keith Mukata, former Finance Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, former Education Minister, Geoffrey Lungwangwa, former Health Minister, Brian Chituwo, and former Home Affairs Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha.

Their spokesperson Levy Ngoma expressed the lawmakers' confidence for Hichilema in the presidential vote.

Zambia will hold general elections on August 11 and the race is mainly between President Edgar Lungu of the governing PF which has been in power since 2011 and Hichilema of the UPND.

The MMD ruled Zambia from 1991 to 2011. Its former leader Rupiah Banda and some senior members are supporting Lungu. Endit