Caritas Zambia has learned from the Technical Committee on Drafting the Constitution and the media with great shock and dismay that the Committee on Drafting the Constitution is being asked by the Executive to print only ten (10) copies of the Draft Constitution.
This is in absolute defiance both of the Terms of Reference that required the Committee to make full public disclosure of the outcomes of the constitution making process and of popular demand and expectation to have copies of the draft Constitution released simultaneously to the public as well as the Executive.
We thus support the position taken by the Technical Committee to refuse to sign the Draft Constitution and the Report if the Executive maintains this unreasonable position.
This is a display of integrity on the part of the Committee and their accountability to the people of Zambia to whom they continuously made the promise that they would simultaneously release the Draft Constitution to the Executive and the general public. As Caritas Zambia, we pledge to stand with them on this position and we urge the Committee not to relent.
The position taken by the Executive to deny Zambians first hand access to the draft Constitution is not acceptable and is provocative in a country which has invested so much and waited so long for a credible people driven constitution.
What has the Executive got to hide over the draft Constitution? What do they secretly want to do with it behind the knowledge of the Zambians?
All along, civil society and other stakeholders have demanded for a legal framework to protect the Constitution making process. The Executive consistently refused to yield to this demand.
It is now clear why that legal framework was critically required. Caritas Zambia would like to state that the people of Zambia will not allow the constitution process in which so much time, money and energy has been sacrificially committed to be manipulated. Parochial interest has no place in our constitutional making process at this stage. God forbid.
Samuel Mulafulafu
Executive Director Caritas Zambia Cc. Technical Committee
They dare not continue to take the people of Zambia for a ride. CRIMIMALS!
Boostele One hour……Ok alright X4
We need to explore ways of passing a vote of no confidence in this Govt..
Lawyers, You can open a Pro bono case…Come on guys. For how long will politicians take the people of Zambia for a Joke?
These turncoats should learn a lesson for once.
The terms of reference are clear. There is no need for armtwisting. Let the Technical committee do its Job.
2016, PF (Poor Finisher) Kuyabebele
Sata made his position clear through his shameless mouthpiece Wynter. He will end with the TEN copies demanded in this constitution process. Of all people, Samuel of Caritas, should know better that each of the TEN drafts to be delivered has been inspired by one of the TEN commandments! If Samuel has now been on the road to Damascus, let him repent and ask for forgiveness and accordingly change his name to Pamuel.
This is how MCS decreed from the genesis!
Some one needs to stop the ROT in this government
Is Kabimba afraid of asking the president why the president want 10 copies? Kabimba is either a parrot or an actor. Kabimba should do the right thing. The president is for the people and the people have the right to question the president when things are not right. What a minister of Legal Affairs who doesn’t want to do the right thing for the people! If it is a matter of cost the draft can be put on internet and let have a number of hard copies distributed to organizations and churches representing the public. The president is not a lion to be feared, but to be respected. Asking the president why he wants only 10 copies to be printed is not disrespectful.
caritas dont lower urselves to political cadres. why cant u request for soft copy upload it and any one can download it. dont make useless conclusions. how much did they spend on the first draft and the second. u ar even shocked, upload it and people will have access to it within hours all over the country and un like the hard copy which can take months to reach some of the places in zambia and this can help us save money.