Zambia's Four Presidential Profiles

The BBC's Musonda Chibamba profiles the four Zambian presidential candidates standing in Thursday's polls and hoping to succeed the late President Levy Mwanawasa who died in August after suffering a stroke.
Rupiah Banda - Movement for Multi-Party Democracy Michael Sata - Patriotic Front Hakainde Hichilema - United Party for National Development
Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda - Heritage Party
RUPIAH BANDA - MOVEMENT FOR MULTI-PARTY DEMOCRACY
Rupiah Banda is something of an outsider in the ruling Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) but still managed to secure its nomination, after being acting president since Mr Mwanawasa died in August.    
I read a lot and I have seen how countries move from poverty to wealth by very smart ways
Rupiah Banda. He had all but retired from active politics and settled at his farm in his native town of Chipata when he was surprisingly recruited by Mr Mwanawasa during the 2006 presidential campaign to help shore up the MMD's dwindling support in the Eastern Province.
By the time the election had passed, Mr Banda had delivered the province to the ruling party.
Mr Mwanawasa appointed him vice-president in appreciation, and thereby set him on a political path that now sees him on the verge of becoming the country's fourth president, should he win the 30 October presidential polls.
The 71-year-old Mr Banda was previously known as a die-hard supporter of the opposition United National Independence Party (Unip) that was ousted from power in 1991 after 27 years in power with Kenneth Kaunda at the helm.
Mr Banda was one of the first appointees in the Kaunda government soon after the country's independence from Britain, serving as a diplomat in Egypt and other countries as well as several other political portfolios including that of Foreign Affairs Minister, spanning more than two decades.
MICHAEL CHILUFYA SATA - PATRIOTIC FRONT
An almost fatal illness earlier this year set in motion a chain of events that has seen a visible change to the politics previously practiced by Zambia's opposition strongman Michael Sata.
After suffering what was thought to be a heart attack, Mr Sata's political nemesis Levy Mwanawasa, pulled several presidential strings that saw his gravely-ill rival airlifted to South Africa for specialist treatment at government cost in a matter of hours.
Mr Sata shocked the nation on his return from South Africa when he made his first trip to State House in seven years, to personally thank Mr Mwanawasa for saving his life, resulting in an hour-and-a-half long meeting that saw the two bitter political rivals bury the hatchet and hug in public.
With the death of Mr Mwanawasa a few months later, Mr Sata appears to have kept his word by toning down his previous confrontational politics. From the previous brutish personality many Zambians were familiar with, Mr Sata now appears to be a more sober politician, even dropping his previous chain-smoking habit.
HAKAINDE HICHILEMA - UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Hakainde Hichilema was better known in business circles as one of Zambia's upcoming business tycoons, with potential to go even further in his business enterprises. He is basing his campaign on the idea of using his business acumen for the whole country.
"What Zambia now needs is to solve the paradox of a very rich country on the one hand and extremely poor people on the other," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.
He says is lack of political experience should not be a problem.
"We don't need the political experience that denies people three meals a day."
He emerged on the political scene in a somewhat controversial manner in 2006, a few months before the country's last presidential and parliamentary elections.
The United Party for National Development (UPND) was in the middle of a leadership crisis, having just lost its founding leader Anderson Mazoka, who died after an illness, four months before the polls.
BRIGADIER GENERAL GODFREY MIYANDA - HERITAGE PARTY
Godfrey Miyanda, a retired high-ranking military officer, was a surprise last-minute entrant to the 2008 presidential race. After his poor showing in the presidential election of two years ago, where he won less than 2% of the vote, few expected him to stand again.
Mr Miyanda is something of an enigma but is described by many as a man of principle and high integrity. Although questions have been asked about how he could have served in senior positions, including that of vice-president under Frederick Chiluba, who soon after leaving office was convicted of fraud, without noticing the wrongs.
In defence, Mr Miyanda claims he spoke out "many times" but was overruled by his colleagues - an excuse most dismiss as lame.