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| National |
| No politics for ex-Presidents |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 13 September 2004
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11:27:41
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Government has formulated a bill seeking to prevent former Presidents and their vices from participating in active politics and, according to parliamentary sources, it could be tabled in the House this week.
A source said government has been trying to strategise by seeking views from different quarters, including staff at Parliament, on how the House would receive the bill once it is tabled.
Another source at Capital Hill said the bill proposes forfeiture of benefits as a penalty for a former head of state or vice who chooses to hang on in active politics.
“They have been consulting us about what we think if the bill came to the House, and we gave them our thoughts,” said a parliamentary source.
Those seeking views on the issue, according to the source, were told it would not be easy to pass the bill because some MPs who are still loyal to the former Head of State and Vice President will think it is being targeted at their role models.
“We told them to expect resistance from some UDF MPs. Who knows former Vice President Justin Malewezi (now Ntchisi North East MP) might convince some MPs to support him oppose it?” Said the source.
It appears the opposition have been consulted and are game, said the source.
MCP, the major opposition party in the House, said on Sunday they had heard about the bill and will support it once it is tabled “because it is a very good bill as it will pacify the present situation where you are not sure as to who is really in control”.
“We have not seen it, but have heard about it. And we will support it as it will define the limits of a former Head of State and Vice President. Surely, when people retire they must retire for real, not start pulling strings from some bogus positions,” said MCP second vice president Nicholas Dausi.
Justice Minister Henry Phoya and Attorney General Ralph Kasambara could not be reached on Sunday. However, government spokesman Ken Lipenga said he was not aware of the issue.
“I am not aware of such a thing. All bills go through cabinet, and I have attended all cabinet meetings and no such a bill has been proposed. So, I would very much doubt the veracity of such information,” said Lipenga.
Speaker of the National Assembly Rodwell Munyenyembe, when contacted yesterday, said he was hearing it for the first time from the reporter.
“No,” said Munyenyembe when asked if he was aware of the bill, and if it will be tabled next week. “I am hearing about it for the first time from you.”
Civil society organisations have been in favour of such legislation.
In Zambia, parliament passed a similar bill during the time of Frederick Chiluba to prevent Kenneth Kaunda from ruling that country again after being in power for 27 years before Chiluba. The country’s Constitution at the time was silent on a former president seeking office again.
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