Civil society takes on law makers

Zambian civil society groups intend starting a nation-wide media campaign to discredit legislators from the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) who voted against a law to form a constituent assembly for adopting the country's fourth national constitution. The Oasis Forum, made up of the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) and three church bodies, the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) and the Council of Churches of Zambia (CCZ), said it would run full-page advertisements in local newspapers, naming the MMD lawmakers who voted against the introduction of a constituent assembly. Oasis Forum chairman Reverend Japheth Ndhlovu told IRIN, "We are coming up with what we are calling a 'shame' list, which is basically a list of all the 65 MPs that rejected the constituent assembly motion demanded by the people." The ad campaign would be one of several measures aimed at pushing the government to enact a new constitution, to be adopted by a constituent assembly, before next year's elections. President Levy Mwanawasa has rejected a constituent assembly as an expensive exercise that cash-strapped Zambia could not afford. "We are going to the people with one message: 'vote these MP's out because they do not give you good laws and a popular president'. We shall see who will win when the people finally see the truth," warned LAZ president William Mweemba. The move has unnerved some parliamentarians. Government spokesman George Chulumanda said, "We are liasing with the Clerk of the National Assembly, who should explain to us whether it's legal for the Oasis Forum to do such a thing without breaching some laws." On Wednesday, MMD MPs voted 65 against the opposition's 52 to defeat a constituent assembly motion sponsored by civil society, who said they are doing it for the people. In addition to the 'shame list', the Oasis Forum also notified the police that they would carry out a mass rally in the capital, Lusaka, on 10 December. The influential civil society group led the fight that defeated former president Frederick Chiluba's bid for a third term.