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Mwanawasa won praise for his economic reforms and anti-corruption drive

Levy Mwanawasa, the Zambian president, has died in hospital in Paris,
where he was receiving treatment following a stroke he suffered earlier
in the year.

Rupiah Banda, the country's vice-president, told state media on Tuesday
that Mwanawasa had died and that seven days of national mourning had
been declared.

"Fellow countrymen, with deep sorrow and grief, I would like to inform
the people of Zambia that our president Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa died
this morning at 10:30 hours [08:30 GMT]," Banda said.

Mwanawasa's health deteriorated after he suffered a stroke while
attending an African Union summit in Egypt in June.

He was rushed to a hospital in Paris, the French capital and a statement
on Monday night indicated that the president's health had taken a turn
for the worse.

Outspoken leader

Mwanawasa was elected president in 2002, Zambia's third president since
independence from Britain in 1964.

He won praise for his anti-corruption and economic modernization drive
in one of the world's biggest copper producers, but was unable to lift
his nation out of poverty.

In recent months, he broke African leader's traditional silence towards
the actions of Robert Mugabe, the Zimababwean president, describing
Zimbabwe as a "catastrophe" and criticising the the 2008 presidential
elections.

Under Zambia's constitution, elections are meant to be held within 90
days of his death.

Vice-president Banda is expected to take over as acting president until
then.