Mwanawasa 'still in hospital'
2008-06-30 12:26
Lusaka - Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa who was rushed to hospital in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, ahead of an AU summit is being treated for high blood pressure, says a Zambian government spokesperson.
Mwanawasa, 59, was admitted on Sunday after experiencing sharp chest pains, Saeed Eissa, ambulance director for the southern Sinai peninsula, said.
"He is still in hospital for treatment. It's high blood pressure," Mike Mulongoti, Zambia's chief government spokesperson told Reuters on Monday.
The African summit, which opened on Monday, was expected to focus largely on the post-election crisis in Zimbabwe.
President Robert Mugabe was sworn in Zimbabwe on Sunday for a new term after a one-candidate election on Friday, which observers said was scarred by violence and intimidation.
Mwanawasa, chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, had been one of the more vocal critics of the veteran Zimbabwean leader and had expressed understanding for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after he pulled out of the presidential poll last week.
- Reuters