March 2001 Africa News Headlines

Tuesday, March 6, 2001 - Web posted at 8:09:11 AM GMT

Zambia's major opposition parties plan 'loose' alliance

LUSAKA - Six Zambian opposition parties plan to form an alliance aimed at forcing the government to implement electoral reforms before general elections this year, opposition leader Dean Mung'omba said yesterday.

Mung'omba, a former government minister and now leader of the Zambia Alliance for Progress (ZAP) said all the major opposition parties had decided to form a loose alliance because they have common causes."

"We have realised that we all have similar if not the same issues to tackle especially when it comes to the electoral reforms," Mung'omba told AFP a day after leaders of all the six parties met.

Mung'omba said they wanted updated voter registration and were also concerned at bids by some groups in the ruling Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) to let President Frederick Chiluba stand again.

Some elements in the MMD seek to change the constitution to allow Chiluba to seek another mandate when his second five-year term expires at the end of this year."

"We shall be holding joint meetings and rallies throughout the country and oppose any attempts at tampering with the constitution," Mung'omba said, adding that the parties also sought updated voter registration.

Similar attempts have been made by the opposition in the past, but failed after leaders differed on the leadership of a merger.

This was why they had decided on a loose alliance this time around, Mung'omba added.

The alliance consists of the former ruling party, the United National Independence Party (UNIP), the United Party for National Development and the National Party, all of which have seats in the current parliament.

Others are the National Citizens Coalition, the Zambia Republican Party and Mung'omba's ZAP.

Chiluba himself on Sunday called for peace and appealed to all politicians not to let the country to slide into violence during the run-up to this year's presidential and parliamentary elections, the state-owned press reported."

"Violence must not be one of those experiences in our country during the run-up to the elections.

The cake should be shared equally, and so should be the case when it comes to decision making," Chiluba was quoted as saying by yesterday's Zambia Daily Mail.

Speaking at an Anglican church service for young people in Lusaka, Chiluba urged Zambians to be tolerant and ensure that "the silent majority in the country should be given a chance to decide on the fate of the nation," the Times of Zambia reported.

- Nampa-Sapa-AFP

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