Zambian government has accepted the constituent assembly as the mode of adopting the constitution, according to Times of Zambia on Friday.

The newspaper quoted President Levy Mwanawasa as saying that after wide consultations it has been decided to go by the will of the people.

In a TV and radio address last night he said in his ruling party's national executive, 41 members voted in favor of the assembly against nine while in the party parliamentary liaison committee, 81 supported it against five and two spoilt votes.

However, the president said that while the government will facilitate the review of the laws and requirements such as the census and the referendum, there will be no short cut.

A small non-partisan committee will be constituted to herald a road-map, he said.

But Mwanawasa maintained that the 2006 general elections will be held under the current constitution.

The president also voiced the government position that is not necessarily agreeing with all details of the draft constitution and final report the Constitution Review Commission handed over to him on Dec. 31, 2005.

According to the draft constitution, the election of the republican president be on the majoritarian basis of 50 percent plus 1 vote winning threshold and the new constitution should be adopted by a constituent assembly.

Opposition parties demand the constituent assembly be held before the 2006 elections not after it so that the elections will be held under the new constitution.

Source: Xinhua