The continuing saga of the Third Term (Updates 41 and 42) has still not reached a conclusion. In July an attempt to amend the Constitution to allow the President to run for a third term in office failed to get the required level of support In Parliament. In October nonetheless a further bill which would clear the way for a third term was gazetted only to be withdrawn at the behest of the President on the grounds that the unrest and contention it was causing was distracting the nation from the fight against the common enemies of hunger and disease.

This strategy has not had the effect for which the President hoped as the issue continues to divide not only the nation but now also his ruling UDF party. Three cabinet ministers, including Jaan Jap Sonke have lost their posts for coming out openly in opposition to the third term.

The main Christian churches, individually collectively and in concert with civil society and with politicians from every party have continued to play a leading role in opposing constitutional change and what they see as misuse of public money by the ruling party in pursuit of the President's candidature. This has led to continuing tension between church and state with the Government side continuing to claim that the churches are acting beyond their rightful remit by involving themselves in party political matters.

It may be of some interest to our readers to know that when, this month, the leadership of the CCAP were given an audience at Sanjika they took along with them Rev. Kenneth Ross, General Secretary of the Church of Scotland's Board of World Mission, to help them make their case against the third term. The church party has kept a tight lip on what transpired, respecting the private nature of the meeting, but reports from the press in Malawi indicate that they were given short shrift by the President who was clearly annoyed at what he saw as interference in an internal political matter.