The Oasis Forum has called on government to grant the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambian Constitution the extended period they have asked to complete drafting the document.
Oasis Forum Spokesperson, Cleophas, Lungu said this is essential in ensuring that the committee comes up with a document that is people driven.
Fr Lungu said while the Forum acknowledges the challenges associated with extending the process beyond the stipulated period, the key objective should not depend solely on adherence to meeting the set deadline.
He said national focus should be directed towards ensuring that the end product, which is the 2013 Republican Constitution, fully reflects the interests of the people of Zambia.
Fr Lungu urged all committed Zambians to continue monitoring the constitution making process in order to ensure that the country, this time around, produces a Constitution that would truly “stand the test of time!”
This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today.
The Technical Committee drafting the Zambian Constitution has applied for a one month extension to the period they were given to complete drafting the new constitution.
The initial dateline the committee was given elapsed yesterday, on June 30, 2013.
Meanwhile, Fr Lungu disclosed that the Forum has finally completed the preparation of the Private Members’ Bill on protecting the constitution making process in the country.
Fr Lungu said the Forum will sponsor and is ready to present the Bill to Parliament, adding that it also intends to widely publicise the Bill to the people of Zambia.
The Oasis Forum comprises the Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ), Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), Non-Governmental Coordinating Council (NGOCC) and the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC).
ZANIS
I CANT BELIEVE THIS, IS THIS COMING FROM THE OASIS FORUM? HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE US TO COMPLETE THIS DOC PLEASE. IS IT NOT OVER 10 YEARS NOW?MWNAWASA STATED THIS IF I REMEMBER WELL. AWE MWEE
These guys made the budget and time-frame themselves. They must finish this job quickly we move on. We are in a hurry to develop Zambia.
“The initial dateline the committee was given elapsed yesterday, on June 30, 2013”.
LT, what is this dateline? I thought the word is deadline.
Extension is just for their money motives. If you extend just remember you will be extending again and again, nafuti, nafuti! It will ever be a circle that you won’t even know when and where it started and ends. In school there is pass and fail. If they can’t finish in the time and resources they employed, they have failed, indeed not once but many times ever asking for extensions. Give them up to 31st July, they will ask for extension to 31 August, they have potential to even ask for 24th October, their open strategies to eat more money from govt is that blantant! Give us the constitution you promised, you have eaten enough for yet nothing.
Someone is always calling for something that is never heeded. Change strategies.
If its taken over 10 years as you claim mate, surely an extra one month wouldn’t do any further. Just one month! Why the lighting speed all of a sudden? Are Usain Bolt? Just wait ala!
The oasis is just as cirrupt also do they surely not know that these people are upto making money? Billions kr per month, who would accept to leave such an income if given all powers tomake excuses for continuity as the forum. Expect it in the next Government.
As usual voice of reason from the Oasis Forum – well done!! Unlike the so called Consortium of NGOs!!
Anyway we have no option but to extend. In Zed we have a very big problem. I cant imaging witnessing the so called intellectuals of Zambian failing to work within their own plan and budget. I know its all about making more money.
In my country we have a problem with freedom,rights ,as a by the way thing,you MPS who are busy ranning away from this other finished ,privatised party.What makes you think you are the only ones who can represent people and can continue amalila? Taima and your friends mwalya fyafula nomba nifwe bane,does it mean politically imwe can only contribute to a political party when you are MPs.
Now it’s your time pa bench or retire,we carry on.
No wonder this country is lagging behind, time is very important and it’s utilisation should be emphasised. The incompetence of people put in charge of drafting the constitution is staggering! How do you ask for a 6 months extension without including time for delays and edits? Poor planning and leadership, people don’t know what they are doing. A constitution costing K1 Trillion is not worth the price of toilet paper if it is rejected because of delays!
Africa is full of ever unfinished projects. Citizen just hang on to hope when those entrusted with critical assignments keep changing the goal posts. Unfinished projects, those entrusted to do the job don’t finish it, instead they themselves ever keep hoping that someone else from somewhere special, will come and finish the tasks they are engaged in. Unfinished projects with allocated financial resources already depleted, spent on trivialities, misapplied, misused and misappropriated, with perfect schemes that go slowly until nothing remains. Unfinished projects! Was the thinking of Welensky who lived years still superior to our capacities in 2013?
LT what is this mwatazende thing ?
this is rubbish by the oasis forum. When grz drugs its feet opposition cry foul when it fast tracks opposition cries foul.