Zambia's Banda to stand for re-election this year

Banda, who became acting president after the death of his predecessor, Levy Mwanawasa in 2008 and later that year won elections, has been in office for three years.

He ran for the party's top post unopposed at the convention for the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) over the weekend.75-year old Banda had promised to serve for three years to complete the tenure of the late president, but then decided to run again. Last month Banda said he expected his MMD party to score an easy victory.

In March, Banda described a union of the two main opposition parties as a "concern", but said his administration's economic record -- growth last year was 7 percent, and should be the same this year -- should see him through comfortably to a second term.

But analysts say internal wrangles could distabilize the party ahead of elections expected by September.

"Let the spirit of oneness, the spirit of unity demonstrated at this convention be carried forward through the period of the campaign. With this spirit we will surely win. Mr. chairman, fellow party members, finally, I want to thank you all for supporting my candidature for the presidency of the MMD and for endorsing me as your presidential candidate in the 2011 presidential and general elections. Thank you, thank you very much," said Banda.

George Mpompo, a former defense minister and Banda's main challenger for the ruling party top seat, accused the president of creating conditions that saw him sail through the party's national elections without competition.

"He ensured that he was the sole candidate and you know as far as I am concerned that is not democracy, and it's a big shame because he was gloating about having gone unopposed, yet he knew his opponents were eliminated he didn't want to face competition. It is in the first, you recall that he had refused to hold the convention until we had to ensure that we prevailed upon him to agree to a convention, the reason he didn't want a convention is he didn't want to be challenged," he said.

The MMD has been in power for 20 years and although the country has seen political stability, the upcoming polls present a challenge, as Zambians are generally unhappy with the way the party has been tackling issues such as poverty, corruption, unemployment and Chinese investment in general.

Copper makes for over 60 percent of the country's revenue and has contributed to the country's steady economic growth in recent years. But many Zambians say they have not seen the returns of copper wealth on the ground.