Lusaka, Zambia, June 17: State television says Zambia's first democratically elected president, Frederick Chiluba, who became increasingly autocratic during his 10 years in office, has died. He was 65.
Chiluba suffered from acute heart problems.
The son of a copper miner and former trade union leader, Chiluba took office in 1991 after 27 years of one-party rule by Kenneth Kaunda.
Initially, Chiluba instituted reforms enabling expanded civil and political rights and Zambia was hailed as a model of democracy on a troubled continent. But eventually Chiluba resorted to Kaunda's own methods of suppressing opposition and was dogged by corruption allegations into his retirement.
