But senior ministers such as Vice-President Christon Tembo and the Minister without Portfolio Michael Sata say Chiluba will retire...
Also absent were some hardliners - Michael Sata (Minister without Portfolio) Nkando Luo (Communications and Transport) and Ben Mwila (Environment and Natural Resources who was expelled from the governing Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) on 8 July)...
• Michael Sata: Minister without Portfolio and MMD National Secretary...
UNIP National Secretary Michael Sata appears to fear that he might also be aiming for the MMD presidency and has tried to erode his support...
Penza is another possible contender; and so is ‘King Cobra' Michael Sata Minister without Portfolio and MMD party secretary...
Rivalry is intense between Wina and Minister without Portfolio Michael Sata for backing from the Barotse royal family in Western province...
The top ranks will be retained by Ben Mwila Defence Minister (and Chiluba's uncle); the Vice-President General Godfrey Miyanda; Finance Minister Ronald Penza; Home Affairs Minister Chitalu Sampa; and Minister without Portfolio Michael Sata...
The students' union at Zambia University (as well as Lucy Sichone' s Zambia Civic Education Association and the Law Association of Zambia) have offered to host all-party talks (as they did successfully between UNIP and the MMD in 1991) but Chiluba' s hardline strategists Defence Minister Ben Mwila Minister without Portfolio Michael Sata and MMD Chairman Sikota Wina are advising him not get involved in any negotiations...
