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Zambian opposition in turmoil
21/12/2007 08:01 - (SA)
Lusaka - Zambia's main opposition has suspended five of its mayors and sacked four lawmakers for taking part in a government-sponsored conference to prepare the country's new constitution.
Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata said on Thursday he was suspending the five civic leaders, including the mayor for the capital, Steven Chilatu, for alleged indiscipline and disobedience.
"They have been suspended for indiscipline," Sata told reporters, after the mayors defied a party instruction to boycott the conference over differences with government.
The mayors who have been suspended are from key towns of the Copperbelt province where Sata enjoys massive support due to his populist policies.
He also fired four central committee members, who are also members of parliament, in defiance of a court ruling earlier this week.
The sacked officials include PF parliamentary whip Elizabeth Chitika, lands chairperson Alfreda Mwamba, transport chairperson Peter Machungwa and head of party elections Ernest Mwansa.
They are among 27 lawmakers who obtained a court order from the Lusaka high court stopping Sata and his agents from sacking them from the party for performing national duties.
"They have been removed from their positions for failure to perform their (party) duties," Sata told reporters when asked if he had ignored the court order.
The lawmakers have filed a motion that would be heard on Thursday afternoon, demanding that Sata be arrested for violating the court order.
Sata ordered the boycott of the constitution conference as he felt it was biased towards the ruling Movement of Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and its sympathisers.
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