Zambia's White President suspended.

Zambia's ruling Patriotic Front (PF)
has suspended President Guy Scott
as party leader amid a power
struggle ahead of elections in
January. The party's central committee accused him of "unconstitutional conduct".

But state radio later quoted the PF
secretary-general as saying the
decision was invalid, as only Mr Scott could call a meeting of the
committee.
Mr Scott, who took over after
President Michael Sata died last
month, remains interim president
until the poll. He cannot become substantive president because his parents were born abroad.

PF spokesman Malozo Sichone told
the BBC that Mr Scott's suspension
comes after party officials had spent weeks trying to meet the president to discuss the election and selection process.

"Since the president's death, it has
become clear that Dr Scott has been following his own agenda," said Mr Sichone.

"He has been hiring and firing
people for no apparent reason and
without consulting the [party's]
central committee," he said.

The party is divided over how its
presidential candidate at the next
election should be selected, with
some calling for the 53-member
central committee to choose.
Mr Scott and other MPs want a vote by a general conference, made up of thousands of delegates. Mr Scott lost favour with many members of the party after he sacked presidential hopeful, Edgar Lungu from his post as PF secretary-general
without any explanation.

Mr Lungu was re-hired a day later
following protests from his
supporters in the capital, Lusaka.
He has said he is on a leave of
absence from the position while the party decides who will contest the election. Meanwhile, Bridget Atanga has been appointed PF secretary-general.

Correspondents say the
reinstatement has done little to win back protesters' trust, as some within the party suspect Mr Scott may have his own candidate in mind for the presidential nomination.

Mr Lungu had been named acting
president when Mr Sata sought
medical treatment in London and is seen as a frontrunner in the
elections. Mr Sata's son, Mulenga Sata, who is the mayor of Lusaka, and his widow, Christine Kaseba, have also said they will seek the PF's nomination, reports
Reuters news agency.

Mr Scott, whose parents were British, is the first white head of state in mainland Africa for 20 years.

Via: BBC

Pix 1: Protesters protesting the sack of Mr Lungu, Presidential hopeful.

Pix 2: Mr Scott meeting the country's Military heads.