Zambian President Names Vp, Reshuffles Cabinet

Zambia's newly-elected President Edger Chagwa Lungu has named a new vice-president and reshuffled the government.



"I will begin by making changes in the office of vice-president, where I have decided to replace Dr. Guy Scott with Inonge Wina," President Lungu told a press briefing at the State House in capital Lusaka on Monday.



Scott has served as acting president since the death of President Michael Sata in London in late October of 2014.



He has served as Sata's vice-president since 2011.



Wina, the new vice-president, is the leader of President Lungu's ruling Patriotic Front (PF) party.



On Sunday, Lungu took the oath of office as Zambia's sixth president since the country's independence in 1964 after being declared winner of last week's hotly-contested presidential poll.



He was sworn in by Chief Justice Lombe Chibesakunda at a colorful ceremony at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.



Lungu, 58, won a total of 809, 925 votes – or 48.33 percent – against 780,168 votes – or 46.46 percent – for his rival, Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development.



Zambians went to the polls last Tuesday. Eleven presidential hopefuls, including Lungu and Hichilema, contested the race.



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President Lungu has also carried out a limited cabinet reshuffle.



"I have appointed five ministers to keep the government running as I work to identify credible persons to fill the vacant positions," he said.



Former Deputy Defense Minister Davis Mwila was named new home affairs minister.



Lungu appointed former Home Affairs Minister Ngosa Simbyakula to the Justice Ministry portofolio with clear instructions to have a draft constitution ready immediately.



"We made the promise to the people that we shall deliver the new constitution within the shortest possible time, and as a way of fulfilling the promise, I am instructing Simbyakula to speed up the process of the constitution-making," said the new president.



He also appointed Dawson Kafwaya as North-Western Province Minister and Nathaniel Mubukwanu as Southern Province Minister.



Four ministers from the outgoing cabinet have kept their portfolios.



Lungu reappointed Alexander Chikwanda to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning.



Harry Kalaba,meanwhile, has gone back to the Foreign Ministry, while Jean Kapata has returned to Ministry of Tourism and Arts.



Joseph Kasonde has returned to his old portfolio as health minister.



Kaiza Zulu has been given the post of special presidential assistant for political affairs, while Emmanuel Chilubuluma Nama was named permanent secretary at State House.



President Lungu has said he would make the rest of the appointments upon his return from Addis Ababa, where he is scheduled to attend the Africa Union summit on Jan. 30 and 31.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Lusaka