THE Forum for Political Parties (FPP) has petitioned the British High Commissioner to Zambia, Tom Carter for his sentiments that he is shocked and disappointed with the acquittal of former Republican president Frederick Chiluba.

The FPP is a consortium of parties without representation in Parliament.

Members that presented the petition were from the National Democratic Party (NDP), Party for Unity, Democracy and Development (PUDD), New Generation Party (NGP) and the Zambia Development Conference (ZADECO).

"We wish to appeal to the British government to find better diplomatic means of airing their complaints against the Government of Zambia. This is because the utterances attributed to the British high commissioner to Zambia, Mr Carter have the potential to cause anarchy," reads the petition signed by the representatives of the FPP.

The FPP members carried a banner that read 'No British interference, former colonialist respect Zambia's sovereignty, Your Excellency British High Commissioner Tom Carter respect our judiciary'.

The FPP said it was dismayed that Mr Carter could express disappointment over the acquittal of Dr Chiluba considering that Zambia was a sovereign State and as such the envoy should respect the decisions of the court.

"We have noted with sadness that the former colonial masters seem to be bent on promoting anarchy and acrimony through the wrong channels of diplomatic communication which include so called non-governmental organisations(NGOs)," reads the petition.

The FPP said the funding by the British to the anti-corruption crusade through the Taskforce on Corruption was one of the factors contributing to division and political tension in the country.

As such, the FPP was of the view that the British government revisits its foreign policy on countries like Zambia because the current approach could result into instability both politically and economically.

Members of the FPP demanded that the British government gives Zambians a breakdown of how the British taxpayers' money had been disbursed to the Taskforce on Corruption.

They claimed that an individual prosecutor on the Taskforce on Corruption was getting US$10,000 per sitting, in addition to K100 million monthly salary and K200 million salary for the chairperson.

In the petition, the parties appealed to diplomats to be aware of the Vienna Convention and utilise the communications channels espoused under the convention.

In the absence of the Vienna Convention, the FPP said that the appropriate channel of communication for diplomats was through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

British High Commission, security manager Tim Parkinson received the petition and promised to hand it over to Mr Carter.

Speaking to journalists outside the British High Commission, FPP national chairman Edwin Sakala said they were giving the high commissioner one week in which to respond to their petition.

"They have to give us a feedback in a week's time. We are giving them a week and if they do not respond we shall come and camp here," Mr Sakala said