Thursday, March 28, 2024

The constitution does not allow me to stand for the Republican Presidency or act as President-Guy Scott

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Guy Scott
Guy Scott

Republican Vice President Guy Scott has explained why he does not act as president in the absence of Republican President Michael Sata. Dr. Scott has revealed that the constitution does not allow him to stand for the republican presidency or act as president because of his ethnic background.

QFM NEWS reports that during the vice president’s question time, Dr. Scot recalled that in 1996, under the late former president Dr. Frederick Chiluba, parliament passed an amendment that forbids Zambian residents whose parents are born outside the country to act or stand as president.

He stated that the amendment is discriminatory as agreed by most legal experts in the country.

The vice president further said that he was anxiously waiting for former vice president George Kunda to take him to court over his eligibility to hold the position vice president.

He told the house that the former vice president prefers to politic other than going to court because he knows that he will lose the case.

Dr. Scot was responding to a question from Mpongwe Member of Parliament Gabriel Namulambe who wanted to know why he does not act as president in the absence of the president.

And Dr. Scot has stated that government consulted stakeholders on the realignment of the districts contrary to assertions that there was no consultation.

QFM

99 COMMENTS

    • Notice how the MP who asked the question doesnt understand or know fully the constitution of the Land…am sure more then half the house has never read it…what a waste!

  1. I wish the constitution could be amended to let this good fella Guy run for presidency. He is such a bloke!

    • Guy Scott and Michael Chilufya Sata were in the FTJ govt when the constitution was changed to bar KK from contesting the 1996 elections. So both Sata and Scott knew this circumstance.

    • it needs to be changed to Zambian by birth only … no need to add the descent part with parents both born in Zambia. On another note, the new draft should add dual citizenship in there as well so that the new constitution would stand the test of time … great observation Ba Operation: Owl.

  2. Ok we are clear now, can we talk about job creation and developmental plans not these personal issues

  3. This is disgrace at the highest level. Dr. Scot does not qualify period. Does it mean that out of 13million people, PF has failed to find a Vice President of the country?????. Kunda is smiling again. Kunda 1: PF 0. Its Sata who is imposing this man on us.

    • In what way has PF Lost? We have always known that!! If Guy acted, even for a single day, the same Kunda would have been up in arms saying we have a person “acting when he does not qualify under the constitution”. Jesus christ come back please; come take away this wonder country from these i.d.i.o.t.s!!

    • If this guy can’t be be republican president then he should NEVER have been appointed Veep coz that might cause succession trouble should Sata be incapable of continuing his duties in plot one!!
      Not that am wishing Sata to die but there are 13million Zambian to chose from. PF has failed to find one person to take the Veep position. Its an embarsement.

    • I agree with you i mean why appoint someone to a position which he is not allowed to hold or take charge when his boss is not around… i mean why have a deputy director and only to have head of finance act as director when the boss is not there…

  4. Bad clause but on this instance it saves us from embarrasment.

    Your boss used to arrest freedom fighters as a colonial police officer, he still thinks and feels subject to you just because of your skin colour.

  5. @ #2 Operation: Owl it precisely that thinking that makes our constitution a useless and bad document. don’t change a constitution to accommmodate one person. let make constitution for the good of all citizens without preconceived ideas.
    secondly so George was right all along about the VP’s predicament. or should i say MCS’ predicament.

  6. Nations that have manipulated their constitutions in this manner have slowed down progress. Zambia started out well until the MMD came in and started creating inclusions to target individuals (KK, parentage, etc.) and belief systems (declaration of one religious alignment over another etc.) among other things. What a waste of entry into the 21st Century…

  7. Kunda is right.
    The fact that guy scott cant act ( Dummy ) means that he is illegally in that position to start with.
    Don’t start clapping for pf coz the vp himself has confessed while you watch at the expense of development in his man hours .

  8. A few things come to mind:
    1. Are we saying we have an unqualified VP
    2. Why was he appointed VP if he can’t act as president?
    3. Does no one else see anything wrong here?

  9. If this guy can’t be be republican president then he should NEVER have been appointed Veep coz that might cause succession trouble should Sata be incapable of continuing his duties in plot one!!
    Furthermore,if our political classes had any maturity,then the Veep role would be used to groom a future President,just like Gore and Bush I were under Clinton and Reagan respectively or Mbeki under Mandela and so on…

  10. All you nut cases hurting on Scot are dull. Cant you see the mature leadership that Scot has. Being a vice president is not all about acting when the president is out but to offer credible leadership. do you claim to say the red lipped was as good as Scot. Come on guys. Kunda has tried to provoke and Scote has been a gentleman

    • He is wasting the money I pay as tax. I mean for goodness’s sake this is not fair or sound at all. Just making up the numbers. What is wrong with us?

    • What mature leadership? We need development…What’s wrong with u? This is nonsense,the Repulican Vice President can’t as President? For the first time we have a Veep who can’t act as the President and The President who never completed primary school…am ashamed.

  11. You lozis and tongas leave Guy alone. The qualification of vice president does not say anything about parentage.

  12. George has not won anything or anyone at all. It’s the nation that loses big time cause you know what, Zambians of other origins will never participate in enhancing our democracy. We shall continue fighting our personals as our friends are reeking in more money in our pockets. George Kunda is a bad law make who shouldn’t even be proud that Guy Scott can’t act as President

  13. This is very laughable – the same people who wanted to bar RB from running for the presidency because his parents were allegedly from Zimbabwe and Malawi went on to appoint a VP who is not qualified based on the same clause that they were trying to bar RB on? No wonder no one wants to invest in this god forsaken banana republic any more!

  14. Every one of our Presidents has attempted to find a “lame duck” VP, one who cannot challenge them for the Presidency. Sata has found the perfect one!! No competition from Scott. Sata is a master schemer, but its a sad development for the country.

  15. hahaha ant PF chaps u amaze me, @ ME tell me how u have given Kunda 2 goals, thats illogical,tell u wat.!! u and kunda u have just embarrassed urselves for crying for too long bcoz it shows that u are not knowledgeable enuff while Guy the champ already knew this…hahaha now thats wat I call game….now its Guy 4 – 0 GK …too bad

  16. PF KAPONYAS, FOREWARNING IS FOREARMING. 
    On December 14th, 2011 I said the below and all PF kaponyas posturing as knowledgeable belabored to argue against my legal opinion. Deliberately I have left them to see authenticate their constitutional  and intellectual deficiency. Now see the arrangement of Scott never ever to act in absence of Sata. I dare them seeing Scott ever acting as long as he  is VP until he is replaced. Sata and Scott will either be going out together in different directions or junior left acting always with there ndweee. This Scott chap cannot and will never serve as acting President constitutionally. Watch the space for this shameful constitutional dilemma self created due to illiteracy in a kaponya boat.

  17. So Kunda was right after all, we have a dummy vice president.Kunda 6: PF 0 Guy Scott should just resign as he is just a ceremonial figure being used by Sata who is too scared to share power with someone actually qualified to be VP.The Law is however discriminatory ..how did we allow such archaic laws in Zambia Late Chiluba 5:Zambia 0

  18. Tue Jan 10 at 5:27 pm
    I said, “CONSTITUTIONAL GURUS SEE WHO SATA LEAVES THE INSTRUMENTS OF POWERS WITH”
    Constitutionally, never Gay Scott because he cannot be President of Zambia. Therefore see if ever this lawless man will leave him with the instruments of powers. Should it happen, We are ready us constitutional Zambians to Institute a legal battle immediately because the constitution of Zambia is explicit on who can be conferred the instruments of powers. When Kaponyas are in power they give theatrics of shame and unconstitutionality.

  19. Guy Scot is the only honest person in Polce Force GOVT.Amabombasa a pona Ba Police Force GOVT.

  20. December 15, 2011 pf Kaponya calling himself “Outlaw” wrote: 
    Senior citizen, which constitution have you read, is it the DA Vinci code version (twisted) Guy Scott is constitutionally fit be vice president and act as president. The constitution literally states that only a person who is filling in for nomination to contest for Republican Presidency should have both parents Zambian by decent or birth. The law does not say even when one is merely acting. get your facts right.
    what should concern use about Dr. Scott’s delegation to Chine is whether this delegation is using taxpayers money because this is a pure PF party tour and not govt.

  21. What Scott has just said is contrary to what the principle LEGAL ADVISOR to the govt initially said in his reaction to Kunda’s assertions. He said that Scott qualifies to act as veep and i tend to agree with him on this one. I think Scott is just being economical with the truth. ‘Constitutionally’ speaking Chikwanda can only act as veep in the absence of a veep i.e if Scott is incapacitated or not available. It is the appoitment of Chikwanda even when Scott is available which we must challenge.

  22. All you PF Kaponyas,
    Who have authenticated your unmatched deficiency on constitutional, I stand ready for a constitutional debate on this Sata circus now manifesting historic humiliation of Guy Scott while joking cadre like Lubinda, GBM, Kambwili and M’membe are vainly posturing and outdoing each other for an imaginary opportunity to take over all because they have realized that theirs is a  boat of dry bones giving them an imaginary opportunity based on fate and constitutional crisis.

  23. Empirical evidence that the boat has brainpower crisis because illiterates have crowded the Sata ship to doom. Smart Zambians have opted to stay away from the circus. They are in private businesses and other money making ventures with majority in opposition

  24. Fellow blogers, if at all you have never known the definition of ‘white wash’ this is. Kunda has riped Sata off his pants. Guy deos NOT qualify to hold office period, in any case where you are deputy and later on cant perform any duty pesuant to that office then wats the point of holding on? I tell you Kunda has shown that he is determined enough, lets go to the courts for its interpretation. Kunda 8:7 Sata.

  25. These are unresolved issues that the corrupt criminal FTJ Chiluba left behind.The so called “born again” christian put in place laws without thinking such that in the end they came back to haunt him.The man of god even denied his own biological father just to remain in power.
    Reminds me of the character “Spiegal” in the movie Lord of the Rings.He wanted the ring(..of power) so much that in the end it consumed his body and eventually his life.

  26. It is not Guy Scott who is the dummy here. It is the constitution and the people who allow such a discriminatory clause to continue. The joke is on us, not Guy Scott. He has defied the odds and risen to that position on merit in a system that does not know its arse from its elbow. SHAME ON US

  27. Leave Guy Scott alone. He is a transparent person unlike some people that have cooked their identities to suit their situation simply because they are black and can fit in very well. If we were to count how many people are genuine zambians in zambia we would most likely come up with one-the kabwe Broken hill man

  28. What about Mumba Malila the Attorney General who defended Sata and said that Guy was qualified to act as President? Is he also a moron? In the developed world, he would definitely be heading for the boot. Such a high office of AG does not require such incompetence. I thought Mumba is a professional but I am disappointed he is there just to please his boss and protect his job. What as poop hole circus it is. Its a shame indeed. 

  29. Anyway it is reported speech, I would like to see the quoted words as Zambian journalists are constantly misunderstanding what is said

  30. Kwena i can now see how dull some Zambians are!! Guy Scott Does Not qualify to stand or act as Republican President BUT he Qualifies to Be The VICE PRESIDENT!! so get in your thick skulps!! It does not bother Guy Scott nor Does it bother the president that he cannot act. But what matters most is that Guy Scott can perform as a Vice President better than this so called GK……….so Guy Scott 20 GK 0!!!

    • IT IS NOT ABOUT PERFORMANCE DUNDERHEAD; THIS IS A CLEAR ANNIHILATION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. NEXT I WILL APPOINT MUGABE AS THE VP; I AM SURE HE CAN DO A GOOD JOB

  31. Now that Guy Scot has said it, lets wait and see what happens over RB’s parentage and the alleged illegal presidency….Scot might still have the last laugh.

  32. Sata knew Guy Scott cannot act as president but put him there so that Zambians start talking for his removal. Sata will off course say sorry it was not me but Zambians, that removed you, when deep down he will be rejoicing. Guy Scott has been with PF through thick and thin and Sata has no nerve to dismiss Scott. PF doing what they know best

  33. Sorry bwana Veep. Am sure this law was amended by FTJ in order to block super Ken from challenging the past MMD Govt and now look at the spill over it has done to the nation. Shame shame

  34. As a non partisan person my issue is with the amendment in the constitution. What purpose does it serve aside from discounting a good chunk of Zambians from running. Myself included. The bad taste left in the mouth is reminiscent of watching some Americans argue over Prez Obama’s birth certificate. Change the constitutional amendment not just for the benefit of our current VP but for me and many others who can only dream of Presidency no matter how Zambian we are :) It’s like telling your citizens to never marry a non Zambian just in case…hahahaha. Tickled.

  35. Imagine we had a veep aged 33 years and our constitution states that a person can only qualify for president if s/he has among others attained the age of 35 years. The question then is can a 33 year old veep act as president in the absence of the incumbent? This i believe is the predicament Scott finds himself in.

  36. Sata and FTJ changed the law to bar KK in 1996.

    Sata is a schemer. He knew all this when he made Scot the VP. That’s political engineering for you.

  37. Wasn’t Guy Scott and Michael Sata in that same Chiluba Govt that changed the constitution to bar KK?

  38. ok the question that everyone is failing to ask is does the constitution say the vice president and only the vice is required or expected to act as president when sata is out? 
    if it is ok to appoint another minister as vp why the big fuss? if not mr sata should just create a post of prime minster and give it to scot and appoint a new vice president.
    i do not understand why all of a sudden people are fighting scot over a clause that was only put into the constitution to discriminate against dr kaunda!

    • Iwe the constitution says a minister can only act in the absence of the president and VP. When the VP is around, a minister cannot act constitutionally 

  39. Its a rediculous clause. Both my parents were born in Zambia and I wasnt only coz my parents went to study abroad. Now i have a son, who i suppose will disqualified coz of me. Linsanity oops meant insanity…

    • You qualify cos you are Zambian by descent.Your son qualifies if the mother id either Zambian by birth or descent.

  40. here the president is stup.it. he wants to leave us with political crisis if he should suddenly have a stroke. i mean looking at his age we may end up with a second dead president.

  41. Two weeks or so ago Scott proclaimed the legal advice was that he can act as presid, but can’t stand for pres if Sata dropped dead – and now he says he can’t. what is with PF?

  42. Which stakeholder was consulted over re-alignements of districts – obviously not the southern province chiefs. Dr Scott should tell us which stakeholder was consulted. 

  43. GUY SCOTT ARE YOU NOT THE ONES WHO WERE BUSY HERITATING RUPIAH BANDA?NOW ITS YOUR TIME,THE POSITION DOES NOT FIT YOU BABA COZ U ARE NOT A ZAMBIAN,,2016 IS COMING,,OUR HOPE IS ON HAKAINDE TO LEAD THE NATION.

  44. I cant sympathize with Guy Scott cos he was part of the govt that enacted the clause.It serves him well.A taste of his own medicine!

  45. Boorringg!! Keep hurting, he is still vice. Acting position will be given to someone else; and thats it lads. bye bye polyo!!

  46. The role of the vice president is much more important in its own than being seen as a substitute to the presidents absence. Try and look at the role of the vice president. One of them is to do with disaster management, leader of business in parliament etc. grooming someone for president can be at any level even as a youth chairpersn of the party. Most good president come from the bottom. Vice president have proved to come out as worst presidents except in special cases.

  47. RB BOTH HIS PARENTS WERE NOT ZAMBIANS WHY DID KUNDA SHUT TIGHT HIS RED LIPS?SAYING THE TRUTH I WOULD RATHER HAVE MR SCOTT FOR PRISEDENT AS WELL AS VICE THAN THE LIKES OF RB AND KUNDA WITH NO BRAINS.VIVA SCOTT AND LONG LIVE.

  48. Don’t let this Guy Scottish citizen mislead or confuse you, what he has said actually raises very serious questions about his appointment to veep by one cobra. The point is that the constitution requires that the veep acts as president when the president is not available for various reasons. And a minister only acts when veep is not available. Now what Guy scottish muzungu is saying is that he should not even be vice president of Zambia. So the ball is back in cobra’s court or shoes. Awe PF ika tupesha ku ma illegalities, recipe for corruption investigations in 2016 or earlier.

  49. Nunber 54, the Constitution is very clear. It states that the President [shall] appoint the VP to act when he is out of the country if the VP is in the country. It imposes a constitutional duty on the President to do so. ONLY when the VP is also out of the country can the President appoint any of the ministers – mark my words ‘ONLY’ when! You can apply your own interpretation but my clear view is that the constitution has been violated by the President’s action to appoint a minister to act in the presence in the country of the VP. If interpretation is correct and given what the VP is rep[orted to have told Parliament, I would demand all public officers including the Attorney General who said the contrary in the past to resign their popsitions immediately out of their conscience, if any!

  50. Magent’s comment at 54 is spot on. Baba at 66 you will find that the Zambian constitution is not binding on the Republican President as a “must do” appoint the Vice President in the Presidents absence. The word used in the Constitution is “May” appoint the VP or Cabinet Minister to act in his place. Bottom line, which most commentators seem to forget is that the position of Vice President is a Constitutional Office whose main function is to  be the Leader of the House for the Government and any other functions that the President may deem fit. Being able to act as President is just a small portion of it and is purely for administrative purposes. 

  51. To put things in perspective – in Zambia’s 48 years of Independence we have had several number two but only one ever rose to become President – Bwezani Banda – resulting from the Presidents death. The question then to be asked is what is the fuss over Guy Scott being Vice President? This is the man that has been Sata’s number two from inception of PF so it was spot on for him to be made the Republican Vice President. This is in the same line as late President Chiluba did in appointing late Mwanawasa as his first Vice President mainly because he was the MMD’s elected Vice President and despite the odds was made republican VP. Let Mr. Guy Scot be as VP. Pointless to keeping on banging against the wall when we all know that his appointment is at the prerogative of the President

  52. # 68 YOU ARE SPOT ON! SOME DANDER HEADS, MISLEAD THE DULL HEADED,ONE WOULD THINK VP JOB’S DESCRIPTION IS ONLY TO ACT WHEN THE PRESIDENT IS AWAY, MCS HAS HIS OWN WAY OF DOING THINGS, AND THERE IS NO LAW IN ZED THAT DISQUALIFIES SCOT. ANY HOW IT’S TIME WE HAD PIPO’S CONSTITUTION AND NOT CHILUBAS, GEORGE KUNDA AND MMD CONSTITUTION. THE FOOLS MESED UP EVERYTHING INCLUDING THEIR OWN LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!

  53. Unless there is a ‘phantom’ law somewhere, that I have not had occasion to peruse, I do not find anywhere in the Constitution, a bar to the likes of Guy Scott acting as President. The amendment I am aware of and have read, only refers to standing as Republican President – in terms of parentage i.e. article 34. Further articles, including 38 and 49, allow the VICE to act as President when the President is not around, assume position of acting President if the President is incapacitated by physical or mental infirmity, or if position of President becomes suddenly vacant – at least till elections. He can also preside over cabinet meetings in the absence of the President. He is VC. You cannot say he shouldn’t merely because of his parents. Guy himself has been misled.

  54. In my interpretation, the clause in contention was only meant to bar those vying to stand as Republican president. The Vice is appointed from amongst members of the national assembly whose qualifications to stand are merely by virtue of being Zambian, aged at least 21 and of sound mind. Acting as President does not mean you have become President. The Constitution does not stop Scott, its the irrational, legally uninstructed politics that are doing so. Isn’t it simple – if you CAN BE Vice President then you should be able to act as President. Why are some people insisting on this different absurd situation?

  55. That is the problem of trying to twist laws around in order to hurt or victimise particular individuals or groups. The Presidential clause also demands for example, that for you to qualify to stand as President you need to have been domiciled in Zambia for at least 20 years prior to the elections – meaning you must ordinarily have been resident in Zambia – which disqualifies a lot of you in the diaspora! How absurd.

  56. OUR CONSTITUTION IS STILL FLAWLESS TO AN EXTENT. EVEN IN AMERICA YOU HAVE TO HAVE BEEN BORN IN THE US TO BE PRESIDENT. WHEN YOUR PARENTS ARE ZAMBIAN YOU ARE MORE LOYAL TO THE NATION. TRUST ME YOU FOLLOW YOUR ROOTS NO MATTER WHAT. MOVING ON TO DEVELOPMENT. GOD KNOWS WHY OUR CONSTITUTION IS AS IT IS THANK YOU JESUS.

  57. “In other words, if there is a presidential by-election, I can act as Republican president for three months, supervise the elections but I cannot be a candidate for presidency,” Dr Scott said

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