Lusaka, Zambia — Church leaders in Zambia have voiced their opposition to plans to amend the Republican Constitution so as to enable President Frederick Chiluba stand for a third term.

These leaders said in Lusaka on Thursday that the ongoing debate on whether Chiluba should be allowed to stand again was "unconstitutional and undemocratic."

Addressing a news conference, the general secretary of the Zambia Episcopal Church, Fr. Ignatius Mwebe, insisted on the need to abide by the high standards of democracy set before the 1991 multiparty elections.

He called on President Chiluba to clarify his commitment to protect the constitutional provision limiting him to two terms of office.

"The church leaders are calling on president Chiluba to make clear his commitment to protect the current constitution which limits the presidency to two terms," Mwebe said, noting that the debate will undermine the electoral process.

According to Mwebe, the position of the church was formulated during a recent meeting in Lusaka, which was also attended by the Zambia Christian Council of Zambia and the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia.

A debate is currently raging in the country on whether Chiluba, who was first elected in 1991, should run for a third term.

Some members from the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) launched the campaign to win support for a third five-year term for Chiluba.

MMD national secretary, Michael Sata who is also minister without portfolio, recently advised party members to remove the legal hurdles in the country's Constitution to ensure Chiluba's eligibility.