The first president of Zambia, Kenneth Kaunda, has welcomed the lifting of the immunity of his successor, Frederick Chiluba, by parliament.

Mr Kaunda, told the BBC's Network Africa programme that if the allegations of corruption made against Mr Chiluba were true, he should be held accountable in court.

I think it's the right thing for them to do, very right indeed

Kenneth Kaunda

But Mr Kaunda dismissed as irrelevant Mr Chiluba's earlier suggestion that Mr Kaunda's immunity should also be lifted.

Mr Kaunda stepped down as president in 1991 after losing elections to Mr Chiluba.

Members of the Zambian parliament lifted Mr Chiluba's immunity on Tuesday after a short debate, while thousands of people demonstrated outside parliament to urge them to make a swift decision.

Forthcoming arrest

The BBC's Penny Dale in Lusaka says the arrest of the former head of state is likely to take place any day now.

Mr Chiluba was believed to be staying in his secure Lusaka residence on Tuesday, with feelings running high in the capital.

Chiluba denies the allegations of corruption against him

Last week, incumbent President Mwanawasa asked a special session of parliament to lift Mr Chiluba's immunity from prosecution and outlined a series of corruption allegations against him and members of his government.

Mr Chiluba has denied the allegations of corruption against him, and said he was the victim of a witch-hunt.

But Mr Kaunda believes that the matter should be resolved by the judiciary.

"If the figures that have been announced by President Mwanawasa and many other sources are correct, then a lot of economic and financial damage has been done to the country and whoever is responsible must get to court and let the court decide what happens next, whether it is prison or something else," he said.

'No laughing matter'

The former head of state laughed off suggestions by his successor that he should also come under scrutiny if his immunity was lifted.

"I�m laughing, but it's no laughing matter because the man did so many things against me without lifting that immunity in parliament," he said.

"Mr Chiluba sent policemen to come and search my books, volumes and volumes of books... He did that without lifting my immunity. Worse still, he sent me to prison for six months, again, without lifting my immunity."

"What is he talking about? The young man is a pitiful figure," he said.

MPs were under pressure to make a swift decision

Mr Chiluba has not reacted to the parliament's decision to lift his immunity, but on Sunday, he condemned Mr Mwanawasa's move to bring him to justice.

"Zambia is degenerating into an intolerant society where brother eats brother," he said.

Mr Mwanawasa was elected as president in December 2001 in a widely disputed election. His victory is being challenged by the opposition in the Supreme Court.

Since his election, he has made the fight against corruption a priority for his government.

This has had the effect of splitting the MMD into pro-Mwanawasa and pro-Chiluba camps.

The anti-corruption campaign has also led to the resignation of the foreign minister and the arrest of the Zambian ambassador to Washington.