Zambia: Mwanawasa praises rivals to restore calm

Zambia's newly elected president, Levy Mwanawasa, pledged to improve the lives of the country's millions of poor, and extended an olive branch to his rivals as he took the oath of office after an abrasive and bitter general election campaign. His two closest contenders for the presidency, Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front (PF) and Hakainde Hichilema of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), were conspicuous by their absence at the presidential inauguration ceremony, held in the more secluded grounds of parliament after a last minute change from the traditional venue of the High Court.