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Opposition defies warning
11/10/2007 18:21 - (SA)
Lusaka - Zambia's main opposition on Thursday defied President Levy Mwanawasa's warning that they would face treason charges if they reject his plans to amend the constitution, heightening political tensions.
Party leader Michael Sata said: "The entire leadership of the Patriotic Front is ready to be arrested. We are ready to go to prison if we have to achieve what the people of Zambia want."
Mwanawasa narrowly defeated Sata in a 2006 presidential election.
Zambia launched a constitution review commission
in 2004 that toured the country collecting views. It recommended that the constitution should be adopted by an assembly of eminent people before being passed by parliament.
But leaders of political parties, including the ruling
Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), have agreed instead to
present a bill to parliament to amend only selected parts of the constitution, a move rejected by the opposition.
Sata said: "We have now proven that he doesn't mean well...he does not want people to get a good constitution. He is hiding in this national fraud."
Analysts say Mwanwasa's tough stand raised questions over Zambia's democratic credentials.
A lecturer at the University of Zambia, Jotham Momba, said: "It does not amount to treason to criticise a law in Zambia, because people have a right to express their opinion and they also have a right of assembly.
"It doesn't mean those who don't agree with the process are committing treason. He (Mwanawasa) thinks most people have come on board and he can now use (coercion) to get others in," said Momba.
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