The summit of political party presidents in Zambia has asked all citizens to trust its stance of dialoguing towards enacting a new constitution following the consensus made on Saturday to have a constitutional conference as opposed to the Constituent Assembly.
Officially launching the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) at Mulungushi International Conference Centre today, President Levy Mwanawasa said political party leaders have agreed to dialogue and bury their differences with the aim of upholding the interest of the Zambian people.
Mr. Mwanawasa, who is president of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy
(MMD), said political party leaders have chosen a path of political action that
would ensure a new legitimate constitution was enacted in the interest of all
Zambians.
“We chose to bury our differences, we chose to forego our popularity contests for
the sake of Zambia. We agreed to one clear message and that is to give effect to a
body through legislation that will sit down to debate the proposed constitution,” he
said jovially.
He added that the leaders’ collective agreement surmounted any hurdles that might
impede the process of coming up with a new constitution, which he said should be
achieved through dialogue and consensus.
Mr. Mwanawasa further assured Zambians that political party leaders would never
violate the current constitution or do anything that was inconsistent with the
resolution of the Zambian people.
“That will be an inclusive process, it will also be cost-effective, it will be
within the laws that we have given ourselves. It will honour Zambia and not any
political party’s individual interests. Fellow Zambians, trust this process and
remain engaged,” he said.
The President has since appealed to all Zambians to give support the process and the
people involved in it.
He also called on donors tom support Zambians in their process of adopting and
enacting a constitution that would have the voice of the majority Zambians.
Mr. Mwanawasa paid tribute to the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy,
which played an important role in the establishment of the ZCID.
And Chairman for the Summit of Presidents, Fredrick Chomba, said political parties,
which all along have been operating as antagonistic entities, have now resolved to
work together for the benefit of Zambia as a country.
Justice Chomba said new circumstance have forced the parties to recognize that there
was strength in unity.
“Our political leaders have cast out disunity, therefore let us all support them and
also cast out disunity and drive towards achieving our desired goals,” he said.
He said a widely accepted constitution would set a strong foundation for the much
desired economic development in Zambia.
“Let no one be a political passenger in this train,” he stressed.
And giving a vote of thanks, All People’s Congress president, Ken Ngondo said
dialogue was the key to democratic development.
“This day ignited a flame of hope in all Zambians, they were losing hope in the
political leadership,” he said.
Earlier, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) Executive Director,
Roel Von Meijenteldt called on politicians, civil society and the general citizenry
to make democracy performer better by dialoguing.
Mr. Von Meijenteldt congratulated the summit of presidents for compromising over the
mode of adopting the next constitution and urging them to continue dialoguing.
Meanwhile, opposition Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata was missing at the launch
of the ZCID, leaving one chair on the high table empty..
ZCID spokesperson Newton Ng’uni said he did not know the reason for Mr. Sata’s absence.
Mr. Ng’uni said Mr. Sata had indicated that he would be present and changed his mind
at the last minute.
“Mr. Sata said he was coming but we are yet to get reasons for his absence. We
expected him to come but he said he was not coming at the last minute,” Mr. Ng’uni
told journalist after the launch of the ZCID.
Political party leaders that shared the high table with President Mwanawasa at the
launch were Edith Nawakwi for the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), Richard
Kapita representing the United Party for National Development (UPND), Tilyenji
Kaunda for the United National Independence Party (UNIP), Sakwiba Sikota of the
United Liberal Party (ULP), Kenneth Ngondo for the ACP, and Benjamin Mwila of the
National Democratic Focus (NDF).
Scores of executive members’ attended the launch.
Well done Levy,thats the spirit tho i feel political parties without represantatives in parliament shud be excluded before the whole thing is turned into a circus
All parties must be actively involved irrespective of their parliamentary representation. If we go by that MMD will make an imbalance considering that they are standing at 84 less 1 in a house of 150 legislatures. If your proposed formular is considered, you are the same people who will be staging yourselves on antihills singing your usual good for nothing complaining song.Thus, all registered parties get involved as stakeholders with equal right of vote. Sata should not be pleaded in considering that he has voluntarily opted to lender himself politically irrelevant with his dreams of sorting Mwanawasa out without realising that instead he is sorting himself out. Infact i advise IG Mateyo to make a serious follow up with on Sata’s “vow of sorting bakateka out”. That reckless talk is very dangerous. How is Sata going to sort out bakateka? Would MMD members be wrong to initiate the sorting out process on Sata first? I find Sata suffering from mouth D.
It’s difficult to understand Mr. Sata, the LPF leader, sometimes. To say that if LPM speaks at the launch he too should speak is not enough reason to boycott this landmark launch. LPM’s the republican president and he spoke as such. The launch was not about party campaigns, if that’s what the old man had in mind. He risks making himself and his party irrelevant. That would be a pity considering their current numbers in Parly! People should not make a career out of antagonism even over straight froward issues.
Sometimes we wonder what we want to achieve with this constitution issue. A forum has been provided at ZCID but people like Sata are busy throw spanners in the works, curtailing progress. Sata must stop being antogonistic even when there is no need. He will become irrelevant to the procces
Focus on the big picture there is no need to be petty
PF are likely to make themselves irrelevant to any political progress.Maybe Cobra was ill but at least his deputy (does PF have one ???)could have represented him!!!
According to today’s Post newspaper, Sata announced yesterday that he has pulled out of the ZCID.I really do not understand this man’s character. MMD has provided an environment to dialogue and he does not want to participate. If MMD refused dialogue, he was going to haul all sorts of insult on LPM. Who can vote for such an arrogant monster to rule the country?
Let him sideline himself and will suffer the consequences come 2011.
Its a sad story Pundit#5 Pipo are disappointed. They wanted a CA because they knew they would have made millions. Today if you want to make money easily there three ways in Zambia. 1. Become a legal professional because legal proceeding is now business. 2. Get sitting allownances in commission of enquires or CRC. 3. join some organising committee. This is the kind of situation we have right away in that nation. So Ba Sata he knows by putting spanners the circus will go until the president bends to CA which is very costly. He has the backing of the Legal personal. That why I am telling all my relatives to study law because in Zambia it has a future. Check for Law and Justice you will find on the world index courts has become more corrupt
Ba Easy(7), Sata has outlived his usefulness. I’m sure his party has some good citizens in it who must be terribly confused at their leaders gymnastics!!I say to these members……find another party to join becoz PF under Cobra, is not going anywhere!!!
8# King Cobra I can remember he already slundered after elections he made a statement that he is 70 yrs old now the party need new leaders. Just a few days he was encouraging his members to challenging at the next convention. The man is bitter for not holding the highest post in Zambia. He thought he could be an Chirac after being Lusaka governor it granted him to go to plot 1. No my dear Zambia has many capable people who can even rule it better. Sata should stop blocking progress in CC. I want this come to and end soon. But plz dont trust Katele he uses charms.
Sata, the purposeless political antagonist should be helped to see substance in issues affecting the country and prioritize them NOT his own selfish ambitions.
C’mon patron n# 2,r u addicted to criticizm o wat? the parties without represantatives in parliament honestly who do they represent coz it surely means they were rejected,there r about 60 political parties in zed en those without MPs r usually the sell outs
Easy,pundit and RN only thick minded pipo like you can’t understand the logic here. You are jst fonder of making stupid and un mature arguements and cmments without thorough thinking. It looks like you are LPM stooge.Sata has the right to make comments on the opening of zcid.full stop Next time I will come and sort you out.
12# Anonymus you at it again good morning we missed you. Iam sorry what you are trying to tell us like putting two locomotives on the Lwangwa Train one face the direction of Livingstone AND the other face Kitwe but you want the train towards Kabwe. IT wont the wagons will dislocate. We need teamwork towards the constitution making process. If Mr. Chilufya is not happy that ZCID has included people with bad historical leadership record, it doesnt make a sense to keep quite and work up in the evening telling the nation about this. Moreover if you remember this meeting was held in closed doors without journalists. Its only from the horses mouth can know the truth. Many people didnt know what transpired and prompted Sata to quit the ZCID until he spoke out last evening. People will make assumption that its the usual King contradicting everything. I am not a steward of PLM but a servant of the people of the Zambian people I think that makes a difference.
Sata is a clown. However, you need such clowns at times to make the political game lively. Those of you that think Sata can be head of state should forget it. The old man has tried all he could but this time LPM has beat him clean. The only thing LPM has to sort out is Katele. He is definitely the wrong man to be at the helm of MMD. Not withstanding our democratic tennets, Katele should not be allowed to hold political office in Zambia until all his cases are cleared.