CHIEF Chikanta and Chieftainess Mwenda of the Tonga people in Southern Province have proposed that most recommendations in the Draft Constitution should be retained because they are progressive.

The traditional leaders noted that various districts in Southern Province had already upheld most of the recommendations and that it would be important that various clauses were retained during the national convention.

Speaking in an interview in Livingstone yesterday on the sidelines of the Southern province Constitution Convention, Chief Chikanta said most articles in the draft Constitution only required some fine-tuning because they were already appropriate.

"My view is that about 80 per cent of the Technical Committee recommendations should be retained because they are progressive," he said.

Chief Chikanta said clauses on upholding the death penalty, proportional representation in Parliament, election of the President based on 50 per cent plus one vote and the Vice-President being a running mate to the President, among others, should be retained.

Chieftainess Mwenda said most delegates at the Provincial Convention for Southern Province had already retained a number of clauses in the Draft Constitution.

She said the 50 per cent plus one vote, duo citizenship and Christian Nation clauses, among others, should be upheld in the final Constitution.