Zambia?s popular former finance minister Edith Nawakwi has been elected head of the country?s third-largest opposition party and will challenge President Levy Mwanawasa in 2006 presidential elections. Nawakwi, an influential figure during the 10-year rule of former President Frederick Chiluba, enjoys popular support in four of Zambia?s five provinces and could pose a major threat to Mwanawasa, analysts say. She beat closest rival Ernest Mwansa, also a former minister, to become president of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) in Sunday?s party vote, local media reported yesterday.

Nawaki is the first woman to be elected leader of a political party in the copper-producing southern African country, which has won attention from international investors keen to cash in on leaping demand for the metal in China. ?In a re-run of the polls, Ms Nawakwi polled 610 votes and Ernest Mwansa 208,? the state-owned Zambia Daily Mail reported. Nawakwi was elected president to replace Christon Tembo, a former vice president, who retired from politics last week.