The Zambia Council for Social Development (ZCSD) has urged Zambians to demand the removal of the Presidential immunity from the Constitution so that criminals are not legally protected.

In a statement, Monday, ZCSD executive director Lewis Mwape stated that no one should have immunity from accounting for their actions.

“ZCSD acknowledges that modern democracy and politics may demand that leaders become more accountable and citizens must hold them accountable at all times. When we say leaders; we mean from both the opposition and the ruling, from Corporate both private and public, from NGOs, from Church leaders and spheres of leadership. As an organisation, we are of the view that ‘no one must have immunity to face the law or to be held accountable even through legal means’! We therefore call on Zambians to demand for removal of Presidential immunity from our Constitution! Criminals must not be legally protected by the constitution of the Land!” Mwape stated.

He stated that all institutions, including the presidency, should be unanswerable to the judicial process.

“For the nation to be successful in the fight against corruption and establishment of accountable governance systems; all institutions must be unanswerable to the judicial processes including presidency while in office. Presidential accountability must not be an act of harassment by incumbent leadership but by the lawful systems that would be able to hold presidents accountable whilst in office. At the moment, the office of the president is used as a shield by those appointed to run government and the political followers or cadres of a ruling party and thus commit crimes and abuse public assets and resources with impunity,” stated Mwape.