Chiluba opponents go for contempt charges

President Frederick Chiluba’s opponents, who were expelled from his ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) on Wednesday, have asked the Zambian High Court to bring contempt of court charges against the party. Labour Minister Edith Nawakwi, one of about 22 senior ministers and members of parliament who were expelled from the party at the end of its controversial convention in Kabwe, told IRIN on Thursday that expelled members would seek redress in the courts. Vice-President Christon Tembo and MMD vice-president Godfrey Miyanda were among those who were expelled. Nawakwi and other senior party members were granted a court injunction on Monday preventing the MMD from expelling those opposed to changing the party’s constitution to allow Chiluba’s re-election as president. The hearing was to be held on Friday, but will now be held on Tuesday instead. “Yesterday the MMD lawyer met our lawyer. Since they have now committed a crime, we have considered criminal charges in connection with contempt of court,” Nawakwi said. She told IRIN it was clear that Chiluba wanted to call for “snappy by-elections that would allow him to change the face of parliament”. This, she said, would give him the two-thirds majority he needed in parliament to change the constitution and stand for president again. Nawakwi claimed that the MMD had realised a national referendum would go against it because the majority of Zambians were against amending the Republican constitution. A broad band of civic organisations - including the Church, labour and students - have in recent months publicly opposed having the Republican constitution amended. Nawakwi said this was why Chiluba wanted to fire those in parliament who were against his campaign and to install his supporters in their place. However, Richard Sakala, spokesperson for the presidency, told IRIN that amending the Republican constitution had never been discussed in the MMD. “There is not even discussion about the Republican constitution. There has been no discussion on this matter. How do they (party critics) come to this conclusion?” he asked. When asked if Chiluba intended standing for presidential elections again, he said: “But how can you think that when the constitution does not allow it. The president made it clear that there is a difference (between the party and Republican constitutions). Some of the misinterpretation has been deliberate. The president has not said a thing about it.” Sakala’s comments, however, were at odds with Chiluba’s statement at the end of the convention. He was quoted in ‘The Post’ as saying that while he was certain of victory, he would have to wait to gauge the opinion of the nation over his third term bid. “I have to wait to gauge the opinion in the nation. I am not excited, I am just humbled. I think the party needed to do this (change the constitution), not for me, but any leader,” he was quoted as saying. He said he was not after power, but was just responding to a petition from members of his party. His detractors, however, disagreed and donors - who provide 53 percent of Zambia’s budgetary requirements - have expressed concern about recent developments. “Why does he not stand up and say he will not run for president. He says instead ‘I will think about it’”, said Nawakwi. Afronet researcher and analyst Muleya Mwananyanda told IRIN: “Even before the issue got to where it is now, Chiluba said he would never go for a third term. But he got to the convention and said he would do what the people want. Perhaps he will then say ‘the MMD elected me’ and will start discussing the Republican constitution in parliament.” Mwananyanda said that while the MMD tried to manipulate the constitution, time was running out to finalise the voters roll in time for elections which have to be held no later than November. She said that while about two million people were on the roll, there were about four million eligible voters in the country. “There is no time for this. We still have the old voters roll,” she said. Kristina Svensson, Swedish ambassador to Zambia who also represents the European Union presidency, told IRIN that the EU would be assessing its electoral support for Zambia to determine whether its conditions for aid had been met. “There is a meeting this week in Zambia and in Brussels. The developments in Kabwe were upsetting. We know some delegates were barred from entering the convention,” she said, adding that those who were afraid for their safety had decided to leave. Some delegates were assaulted before the convention, allegedly by Chiluba’s supporters who favour him running for a third presidential term. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative in Zambia, Kenneth Meyers, said the IMF would consider making a statement when there was more clarity on what was happening in the ruling party. However, he did say that Zambia had a poverty reduction and growth facility with the IMF totalling about US $128 million for 2001. “The release of these funds depends on macro economic activities and performance. The IMF board has determined that funds disbursement will be affected by governance issues only when those issues have a systemic impact on the macro economy,” he explained. Nawakwi, who is also Zambia’s former finance minister, said she was sure recent political developments would affect the country’s economy. Zambia’s status as a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) would be reviewed at the end of the year, she said, and it would be difficult to convince the government’s donor and private partners that all conditions, including good governance, had been adhered to. If the conditions were not met, only poor Zambians would suffer, she added. “I think this (Chiluba’s apparent intention to stand for election again) has put a big dent in our image and we have made a U-turn in terms of democracy. Every investor in Zambia needs to apply political pressure on the president and the ruling party. Economic pressure only hits the ordinary Zambian. The international community should step in now,” she said. Nawakwi stressed that it was important to maintain political stability in Zambia because it was surrounded by countries which were at war, and many people were fleeing these wars for Zambia.