Zambia will hold a presidential election to officially replace former President Levy Mwanawasa on 30 October

Acting President Rupiah Banda announced on 9 September 2008 that Zambia will hold a presidential election to officially replace former President Levy Mwanawasa on 30 October. Mwanawasa died on 19 August in a French military hospital after suffering a stroke while attending the African Union summit in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, on 29 June. According to the Zambian Constitution, a presidential election must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant. Banda will run in the election as the Movement for Multi-party Democracy candidate (MMD), but he is expected to face a stiff challenge from the opposition parties -- the Patriotic Front and the United Party for National Development -- both of which fielded competitive candidates in the 2006 presidential election.