Zambian president bids for third term

President Chiluba: No comment in public on a third term

Zambia's President Frederick Chiluba has passed another hurdle in his controversial attempt to stand for a third term in office at the end of the year.

Zambia's ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) announced on Sunday that the party's national executive had agreed to recommend a constitutional amendment.

National party secretary Michael Sata said that an urgent extraordinary national party convention would take place near the end of April and if approved it would then go as a bill to Parliament.

Four ministers have been sacked for speaking out against a fourth term, but so far President Chiluba has not publically indicated he wants to run.

Mr Sata said the decision had been adopted by "a very comfortable majority" but declined to give any details of the voting.

Our correspondent in Lusaka said that according to some MMD insiders, President Chiluba is alleged to have met each of the national executive members individually, before the meeting.

Debate

The Zambian constitution was amended in 1990 to limit the presidency to two terms of five years.

Mr Chiluba, then in opposition, supported the amendment.

His apparent change of mind has led to heated political debate in Zambia.

Last week Tourism Minister William Harrington became the fourth government minister to be sacked after speaking out against a possible third term.

Last month the local government minister, the deputy defence minister and the deputy home affairs minister were all sacked following comments against a third term.

Last year former environment minister Ben Mwila was expelled from the MMD for saying that he wanted to run for president.