The Times of Zambia

ZAMBIA: Soldiers Want Death Penalty Abolished

Army officers at Gondar Barracks in Chipata have submitted to the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) currently sitting in the Eastern Province that the death penalty be abolished and replaced by life imprisonment sentence.

CRC vice -chairman, Senior Chief Inyambo Yeta said in a statement released yesterday that a total of 67 petitions were submitted of which 56 were oral and 5 written submissions when the commission sat at the barracks on Tuesday.

He said the Commission recorded the highest attendance at Gondar barracks in the military establishment since the CRC started sitting 5 months ago.

The chief said other officers submitted that the retirement age should be reduced to 45 from 55 years.

Senior Chief Yeta said other petitioners proposed that civil servants should be allowed to retire after serving 15 years despite the age.

Others petitioned that the minister of Defence should always be a former serviceman preferably from the Zambia Army or the Zambia Air Force.

He said one petitioner submitted that the Defence minister should be selected by a defence council that should recommend 3 names to the Republican President.

Senior Chief Yeta said some petitioners proposed the review of the Defence Act appointment of service chiefs which they said should be ratified by Parliament on a 4 year contract.

They further submitted that the retired service chiefs should not be re-appointed.

On the eligibility to vote, The officers submitted that the voting age be reduced from 18 to 16 years and that elections should be conducted in the dry season.

The vice- chairman said others petitioned that the winning presidential candidate should not be sworn in until election disputes were resolved.

It was proposed that there should be 90 days hand over period, while others proposed 21 days.