Protest planned against Chiluba's third term

Zambian civic and opposition groups on Friday planned a countrywide protest against calls to amend the constitution to allow President Frederick Chiluba to seek a third term in office. But the police ruled the action unlawful and warned they would arrest anyone found taking part in the demonstration, which was to begin late in the afternoon and involve whistles and motor car horns, AFP reported.

The protest was called by various organisations in Zambia in their effort to put pressure on Chiluba to stick to the constitution. "Those with cars should hoot, buzz or honk and those of us without cars should buy whistles so that we blow offside against the liar (President Chiluba)," the organisers said in a statement. Advertisements on the planned protest have also been run in private newspapers.

"A group of people have ganged together and arranged to cause disturbance on roads by hooting spontaneously on Friday afternoon in support of their political feeling. The above action constitutes an offence under the laws of Zambia," police spokesman Lemmy Kajoba said in a statement.