Update: Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia demands an immediate end to talk of removing presidential term limits

**Update:** Earlier coverage this week carried lawyers, opposition leaders and civil society groups on the term-limit debate; what is new is the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia, a church body, joining with a call to stop all such discussion immediately. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) has called for an immediate end to all discussion of removing presidential term limits, joining lawyers, opposition leaders and civil society groups who have spoken against the idea this week. Its Executive Director, Reverend Allan Kasungami, said in a statement that "all discussions regarding the removal of presidential term limits should cease immediately". Rev Kasungami described the debate as unnecessary and a risk to political stability at a time when Zambia needs to heal after a divisive election. He said the Constitution is the cornerstone of the country's democracy and "should not be altered for political expediency". In his view the nation's attention belongs on economic recovery, national unity and delivery of services, and the term-limit talk pulls it away from the cost of living, economic hardship and the vulnerability of ordinary citizens. He urged political players, civil society and the church to reject any attempt to undermine the Constitution. The statement did not describe a particular proposal, and no response from Government or State House was reported. ## Background The EFZ grounded its position in the Oasis Declaration of 2001, when church bodies and civil society organisations opposed a third-term bid by the president of the day. The current debate has built through the week. Lawyers including Linda Kasonde called on the Law Association of Zambia to hold a meeting to defend the two-term limit, and Fred M'membe asked the Association to call an extraordinary meeting. On Wednesday, the Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre said no third-term proposal had been officially presented or prioritised by Government and that any change to term limits o