MULUZI DENIES PLANS FOR A THIRD TERM

MALAWI President Bakili Muluzi has denied weeks of public speculation that he intends changing the country’s constitution and running for a third term in office in 2004. Malawi information minister Clement Stambuli said Muluzi would honour existing constitutional restrictions limiting presidents to two consecutive five-year terms. Stambuli tried last week to defuse growing civil society opposition to Muluzi’s possible re-election by telling national radio that speculation was premature. – African Eye News Service