Dipak Patel (politician)
Encyclopedia
Dipak K. A. Patel is a Zambia
n politician, who served long tenures both as a legislator and as the Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Industry.
to the National Assembly of Zambia
under the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in the Lusaka Central constituency. During this time he was also a member of the MMD's national executive committee. He was appointed Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry from 1991 to 1992, then held a succession of Cabinet Minister positions in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (1992), the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Child Development (1992–1993), and the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry (1993–1996). He was one of two cabinet-level members of Indian origin
in President Frederick Chiluba
's government, the other being Minister of Agriculture Suresh Desai. However, he resigned from that last position in February 1996 due to disagreements with Chiluba; specifically, he objected to a proposed constitutional amendment which would bar individuals of "foreign parentage" from contesting the presidency. In the 1996 elections, he ran without any party affiliation and was returned to his seat representing Lusaka Central; in the 2001 elections he ran on the Forum for Democracy and Development
ticket and was again elected.
, who was elected president in the 2001 election; defaming the head of state is a criminal offence under Zambian law and may incur a jail sentence of up to three years. The Zambia Post
had published a quotation by Patel in which he called Mwanawasa a "cabbage", a reference to Mwanawasa's alleged rigging of the presidential election. Police also arrested the Post editor Fred M'membe, but M'membe himself believed Patel was the police's real target. However, Mwanawasa appointed Patel to the position of Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry in February 2003, in a surprise move which also saw a number of other opposition lawmakers named to his cabinet. During his tenure under Mwanawasa, Patel served as Chair-Co-ordinator for the Least Developed Countries World Trade Organization
negotiations in 2005. Patel later changed his opinion of Mwanawasa, and after the latter's death praised him for his independence, stating that "Everyone thought he was going to be Chiluba’s puppet, but he showed very quickly that he took orders from no one".
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n politician, who served long tenures both as a legislator and as the Minister of Trade, Commerce, and Industry.
Career
Patel was elected in 1991Zambian parliamentary election, 1991
The 1991 general election in Zambia saw the Movement for Multiparty Democracy defeat the ruling United National Independence Party in both presidential and National Assembly polls.-Presidential results by constituency:...
to the National Assembly of Zambia
National Assembly of Zambia
The unicameral National Assembly of Zambia is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly, formed following elections held on 20 September 2011, has a total of 156 members . 150 members are directly elected in single-member constituencies using the simple majority system...
under the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) in the Lusaka Central constituency. During this time he was also a member of the MMD's national executive committee. He was appointed Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry from 1991 to 1992, then held a succession of Cabinet Minister positions in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (1992), the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Child Development (1992–1993), and the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry (1993–1996). He was one of two cabinet-level members of Indian origin
Indians in Zambia
There is a small community of Indians in Zambia. Unlike the better-known Indian communities of East Africa, they were little-studied by historians until the 2000s.-Migration history:...
in President Frederick Chiluba
Frederick Chiluba
Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba was a Zambian politician who was the second President of Zambia from 1991 to 2002. Chiluba, a trade union leader, won the country's multi-party presidential election in 1991 as the candidate of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy , defeating long-time President...
's government, the other being Minister of Agriculture Suresh Desai. However, he resigned from that last position in February 1996 due to disagreements with Chiluba; specifically, he objected to a proposed constitutional amendment which would bar individuals of "foreign parentage" from contesting the presidency. In the 1996 elections, he ran without any party affiliation and was returned to his seat representing Lusaka Central; in the 2001 elections he ran on the Forum for Democracy and Development
Forum for Democracy and Development
The Forum for Democracy and Development is a political party in Zambia.The FDD was founded in 2001 by former members of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy , disaffected by Frederick Chiluba's efforts to change the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term...
ticket and was again elected.
Relations with Mwanawasa
In 2002, while a lawmaker, Patel received a police summons for having allegedly insulted Levy MwanawasaLevy Mwanawasa
Levy Patrick Mwanawasa was the third President of Zambia. He ruled the country from January 2002 until his death in August 2008. He is credited for having initiated a campaign to rid the country of corruption...
, who was elected president in the 2001 election; defaming the head of state is a criminal offence under Zambian law and may incur a jail sentence of up to three years. The Zambia Post
Zambia Post
The Post Zambia is a tabloid independent Zambian newspaper. It is one of the three primary newspapers of the country. The newspaper was set up in 1991. The Sunday edition of the post newspaper is called the Sunday Post and contains a special section focusing on education called Educational Post...
had published a quotation by Patel in which he called Mwanawasa a "cabbage", a reference to Mwanawasa's alleged rigging of the presidential election. Police also arrested the Post editor Fred M'membe, but M'membe himself believed Patel was the police's real target. However, Mwanawasa appointed Patel to the position of Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry in February 2003, in a surprise move which also saw a number of other opposition lawmakers named to his cabinet. During his tenure under Mwanawasa, Patel served as Chair-Co-ordinator for the Least Developed Countries World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
negotiations in 2005. Patel later changed his opinion of Mwanawasa, and after the latter's death praised him for his independence, stating that "Everyone thought he was going to be Chiluba’s puppet, but he showed very quickly that he took orders from no one".
Awards and honours
- 2001 Defender of Democracy award from international NGO Parliamentarians for Global ActionParliamentarians for Global ActionParliamentarians for Global Action is a non-profit and non-partisan international organization of more than 1,300 free elected legislators from 130 democratic countries . It was established circa 1978 as Parliamentarians for World Order engaged in a range of action-oriented initiatives that promote...