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BLANTYRE, June 27 (AFP) - Malawi police have banned an inter-denominational prayer crusade scheduled for Saturday in the country's major cities, just over a week after they blocked a public debate here on President Bakili Muluzi's controversial bid for a third term.

"The reasons (for banning the march) are purely security and not political," police spokesman Goerge Chikowi told Nampa-AFP.

Cleric and key organiser Billie Gama said the so-called "Jesus March", planned by Protestant and other churches, intended to get Christians to march from their churches to designated public venues while singing, "without any politics involved."

He said they will still hold the march, but not in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba.

Gama said police feared other people could use the crusade "to hijack and politicise the march."

Police said they were acting on "orders from above" when over a week ago they halted a community debate in Blantyre, the commercial capital, on a controversial bill that would allow Muluzi to stand for a third term in 2004.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had organized the debate, which was to involve senior politicians from Muluzi's ruling party and the opposition.

Malawi's major Christian churches and NGOs early this month launched national prayer protests against attempts to allow Muluzi to seek re-election when his second five-year term ends.

Muluzi had banned all protests for or against his third term bid and had threatened to use force to crush them.

His administration has come under increasing local and international pressure over the bill to amend the constitution, with critics pointing to a lack of open and free debate.

Under current rules, the president can only serve only two consecutive five-year terms. - Nampa-AFP

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