Lusaka — EASTERN Province traditional leaders have endorsed the civil society's resolve to conduct countrywide demonstrations over the constitution making process.

And Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president William Mweemba has said President Mwanawasa's request for a gratuity was unconstitutional.

Commenting on the civil society's call for demonstrations, senior chief Nzamane of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province said the only language President Mwanawasa's administration could understand best were demonstrations.

Chief Nzamane, who is also Eastern Province Royal Foundation chairperson, said his foundation would support the civil society in their effort to mount pressure on government to submit to the wishes of the people.

"Demonstrations are the only language which this government seems to understand best because they have refused to respect the spirit of dialogue," chief Nzamane said.

Chief Nzamane, who attended the just ended Oasis Forum convention, said unless government submitted to what the people wanted, the route which civil society had taken would ground the country to a standstill.

He said he was happy that the Oasis Forum convention raised similar concerns that were expressed by the chiefs from Eastern Province recently.

"We are there for the people whom we represent," said chief Nzamane.

Chief Chibesakunda of the Bemba people of Chinsali district said calls for demonstrations had come about because of government's stifling of the dialogue over the constitution-making process.

"In a situation where dialogue is being stifled, people have the right to demonstrate as long as it does not generate into chaos," chief Chibesakunda said. "The constitution-making process must be people-driven. That is the bottom line."

He described the Oasis Forum convention as fruitful and informative.

"We were accorded an opportunity to debate on the draft copy of the constitution because we have not received any in Chinsali," he said.

Civil society on Thursday resolved to conduct countrywide demonstrations over the constitution-making process.

The Church also resolved to carry out countrywide processions since it couldn't demonstrate.

And Mweemba said he did not understand why members of parliament passed an unconstitutional motion that gave President Mwanawasa gratuity.

"I didn't understand what happened in Parliament that day...I am disturbed because this a serious issue," Mweemba said. "The best thing members of parliament should have done was to ask the President to choose whether to get his life pension or gratuity and not both."

Mweemba said there was nowhere in the Constitution where the President was given gratuity.

"Under our current laws an individual can either get pension or gratuity and not both," said Mweemba.

Ndola lawyer Tom Shamakamba said it was being greedy on the part of the President for him to demand for both gratuity and pension.

"When I heard about it, I perused through the Constitution and I did not come across any clause that supports that," said Shamakamba.

During the Oasis Forum convention discussions, Heritage Party president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda called for the review of the local government Act to enable local people to take control of the administration of the councils.

"We should not have a situation where a minister or politician in Lusaka just wakes up and shuts down a council," he said. "If the councils are not performing, it is up to the local people to address the problem and not a politician."

On the judiciary, Brig Gen Miyanda observed that the independence of the judiciary was still questionable.

"There is a serious problem when it comes to political cases," said Brig Gen Miyanda.

Chief Ndake of the Nsenga people of Nyimba district observed that there was a contradiction between the clause that denies the President to nominate members of parliament and that which allowed him or her to appoint ministers from outside Parliament.

"If the fears for allowing the President to nominate members of parliament was that he or she can abuse the powers, how are the same fears taken care under the clause that allows the President to appoint ministers from outside Parliament?" asked chief Ndake.

Women for Change (WfC) acting executive director Lumba Siyanga called for the restriction of parliamentary term of office.

"We have had members of parliament who have been in the House since independence. Some of them have been sleeping in Parliament since 1991," said Siyanga.

She proposed that members of parliament should be restricted to three five-year terms of office.

Chief Chibesakunda observed that the institution of traditional leaders had been ignored under local government system.

He said chiefdoms were pivotal to national development.

The Oasis Forum convention resolved among other things to resubmit their recommendations which were not adopted with further justifications, mobilise mass demonstrations, set up camp outside Parliament when the House reconvenes until the constituent assembly bill was passed, the church to lead non-partisan mass processions to campaign for constituent assembly and that lawyers consider giving free legal advice to conscientious objectors, who find themselves on the wrong side of the law.