National Constitution Conference (NCC) Vice Chairperson, Faustina Sinyangwe has reiterated that NCC will not formulate a constitution that will bar any Zambian aspiring for the position of Republican President despite the age.
Mrs. Sinyangwe said the formulation of the constitution is a national programme which requires all NCC members to put national interest first and not selfish motives.
She said it is not true that the NCC is there to bar certain individuals and urged members of the public to treat the claims as rumours .
Speaking in Mazabuka during a special phone NCC programme at Mazabuka Community Radio station yesterday, Ms Sinyangwe said targeting certain individuals would defeat the essence of coming up with a people driven constitution.
She urged Zambians to support the current constitutional making process because government has embraced the spirit of openness as evidenced by the involvement of the media in publishing NCC proceedings.
Ms Sinyangwe who is also Patrotic Front (PF) Matero Member of Parliament (MP) further said government has released resources for publicity to ensure consensus is reached in the formulation of the constitution.
She commended government for attaching alot of importance to the formulation of a people driven constitution.
Ms Sinyangwe urged members of the public to form listening groups to ensure they participated fully in the debates going on.
Meanwhile Mrs. Sinyangwe says she is not ready to apologise to PF President Michael Sata for participating in the constitution making process because her decision to participate was done in consultation with the electorate.
Ms Sinyangwe said her participation in the NCC was backed by people in her constituency adding that going against their wish would have been wrong.
Ms Sinyangwe said she is ready to be prosecuted for participating in the constitution making process by the PF leadership for disrespecting the party directive not to do so.
She also dismissed claims that the PF MPs participating in the NCC are planning to form a political party but said they are to represent people.
Ms Sinyangwe said Political parties and other organisations that boycotted participation in the NCC will regret because they will be governed by the same constitution they refused to participate in.
And Ms Sinyangwe said she will not subject herself to any reconciliations with strings attached with her party President.
ZANIS/HC/MK/ENDS
A constitution should never be tailored in favour of one individual or discriminate agaist certain members of society. Its should embrace everyone, period.
#1, sense!
Ebuntungwa bwine tata ubo … bamwine!!!
By the way, when is this so called constitution going to be made available to everyone, at least for a feel of it? My grandmother in Luwingu does not know about it and what it spells, and yet I believe it’s her civic right. We need local sweet ZED translations of it; the same way the campaigns penetrate all societies during elections! For how do we hope to get representation on things not availed to us?
If Mwanawasa dies or goes….a new President will abolish the NCC…thats for sure..
This has been an expensive exercise in futility..
#9 stop that nonsense, lets get to the points, please!let us support the constitution that will be amended by our elected leaders, period.
Meant #4, *****.
I agree with Sinyangwe nt to apologise to SATA for participating in NCC.Instead its Sata to apologise for trying to block them frm participating in NCC. Posterity will judge Sata harshly.
A Constitution in any country is a reverred document, an instrument of basis, principles and legal and moral existence of a nation.It is both broad and specific in its definitions and purpose and encompasses the interests of all in the dominion. Thus it is very ironic that we continue to mention this ongoing NCC in association with individuals and named political parties. A constitution is impartial to such. Idealy this conference should have been seeking general imput to be incorporated into a final recommendation by a special commission of qualified persons from appropriate disciplines and backgounds. This is not what this is.
Lets be serious the constitution already does not permit anyone below the age of 35 to stand for presidence. Are you saying this will be removed now? Great! Truly speaking thats discrimination and if it will be maintained then its just logical that we should have an upper limit as well so that only a certain age group in brackets can stand for presidency. It should be 35 to some age maybe 75. Get serious.
#3
I totally agree with what u just said. its time the Zambian people become involved in the constitution making process.
its no good to leave everything to be politicians they have their own interests on agendas. We need a platform where every Zambian should participate in debating issues affecting our country.
This is why Micheal Sata is not presidential material if he stops his members in participating in NCC.
We do not need another Mugabe in Zambia. MS will definitely get my vote.
oh!!
mistake on last sentence i meant to say “will not get my vote”.
We need an upper limit.
#4 is correct. why do you zambians forget so easily.
LT, people have been correcting you on spellings for a long time. Look again. It is “barring” not “baring”. Edit your work before posting it.
Coming to the topic at hand, I concur with some bloggers that if there is a minimum age limit for presidency, it follows logically that there should be a maximum age limit. Do you want my Grand mother to stand at the age of 200 years as a presidential Candidate? Definitely, you are going to say she is too old. So what is too old in case since we know what is to be too young?(i.e. below 35 years)
We really need an upper limit as long as we ve a lower limit of 35 Yrs . It doesnt matter whether there is already a presidential candidate of old age or not . By the way is it fair to bar young potentials of below 35 ? Come on NCC intellectuals and fellow Zambians . If old ones at the age of 75 Can be allowed what makes us think young ones can not . Mind u our life span now is at 35.
Let’s not waste time on the age factor. This will be determined by the electorate using a secret ballot when casting the vote. The important thing to worry about is leadership quality to be exhibited by the aspiring presidential candidate and certainly not forgetting health factor. Looking at where we are now, a lot of people are now able to make intelligent decisions as opposed to being blind followers. We should all strive at doing away with recycled leaders. We have to go with the changing times.
This NCC should be halted till LPM wokes up or his status is well defined.
Meanwhile, we need to pursue issues of RB-legality to be acting president and for how long.
RB was born in Zimbabwe.
RB is not an elected Member of parliament
RB must have been appointed to act on limited period and i doubt he has mandate exceeding the period on the AU meeting.
What power is RB using to remain acting.
What risk does RB pose to our country.
on LPM. We need to pressure the govt to show evidence that:
1. He is alive, and level of his comatose or paralysis.
2. His Healthy is improving from the time he was admitted, not the stable updates which may be vegetative.
3. Is he likely to make a full recovery.
#9, 14 and 15 those are great points. The 35 and below age lower limit has to be removed from the Zambian Repubilican Constitution if an upper limit to the Presidency is not included in it (Constitution).
Whether there is a politician (/ are ploiticians) who is (/ are) disadvantaged or indeed advantaged about this age limit issue, let us make the right decision on it. It is either we include an age limit range or we do way with the issue of age limits.
At the rate things are happening.I wonder what agendas and state the NCC will be in by 2010. Only time will tell.
Sinyangwe may seem to be a hero today as an NCC Vice Chairperson, but she is forgetting where she came from. We did not even know she existed and now she is spitting in the face of the one who carried her all the way. What is wrong to a pologise to her Party president and reconcile. Is she big headed with the hefty allowances she is receiving or maybe she has been promised a job by govt. I am not evor looking at what she is contributing towards NCC
The Zambian Constitution is segregative as it is and that is why i agree with #9. If that article will be removed, then the better for those intelligent youths who can aspire for top office on the land.
Dr. HK Dr. Fossil! Why discredited others.
“And Ms Sinyangwe said she will not subject herself to any reconciliations with strings attached with her party President.”
This is really cool Ms Sinyangwe. We need people who will stand on principle(s) rather than being swayed by selfishness when a loophole to make it to some desired position seems to appear.
#19 ‘stable’.
Madam Fosi, i agree with you when you encor that the costitution should never be used as a means of barring others from presidency. However i urge you to be critical in analysis, put necessary safeguards in the constitution. e.g At what stage does LPM become declared redundant, coz MMd could drag this updates thing 4 months. the constitution should be clear on the president’s allowable period of sickness.
Could someone who has a good link to our current Zambian Republican Constitution put up its link on here, please.
It appears the ones I am getting on the internet are indicating varying information reagrding the Presidency of our Country, Zambia.
#25 I agree with you. Moreover, we the zambian people are the employers of the president and it follows without saying that he owes it to us. You cant be away from duty without giving a valid reason to your employer and indeed if the reason is sickness then the employer deserves knowing your fitness before you return to duty. As employers we know nothing. Our constitution is too porous to the detriment of the zambians and serve only to benefit the selfish few particularly the president. Too much powers! We are luck he doesnt determine when you marry or indeed when you kiss your wife.
I hope everyone is stable at this point in time :))) hi hi hi
We need the Zed constitution to guide political parties,eg party hierachy will need to be defined:_presido,vice presido bra bra. This will help deal with insecure presidos and strengthen democracy. Then men and women willnot be wailing when it’s time to pray for the sick.
I saw one session that was carried live, I think some of the contributions are lacking understanding. Quite honestly, this thing risks the usual disease. lack of knowledge due to being ill informed by lack of reading by the participants, this is what I foresee, so whoever has information is likely to determine the course of the committe discussions.
As patriotic Zambians we share the platform of thanking mature debaters freely expressing their concerns and ideas on the state of our nation and future.We are oriented to national interest and progressing discourse without preemting any view.However, it is the collective responsibility of patriots to wisper in clarity to fellow Zambians.Please come out any founded fear:Zambia will never again slide in the hands of plunders come what may. Please lets keep Praying for our head of state and sustainable peace.Everything power instrument and constituency is active and in control.In a Democracy,People are free to talk but this peace is our collective preserve nationally.
Just a question is there a way to find out how each politician votes on the different bills tabled in parliament. We elect our MP’s but have no idea of their performance. We pay them using taxpayers money, it’s our right to know what kind of job they are doing.In fact during campaigns the different constituents should demand to know how the MP’s performed during the last 5 years,not just promises we need to see results, time for voting blindly is gone.
I am prompted to pose this suggestion due to sentiments of #26 and #30. I would like to set up a site where we can as a nation host suggestions regarding the constitution and make this accessible to NCC and all to see. Also on this site we can have submissions of the proceedings from freelance journalists and others that may want to contribute. If anybody has the authentic copy of the constitution in electronic format (MS-Word, Notepard, or pdf), drop me a line at [email protected] and we shall get things going. This is my way of contributing toward national development since I love my country.
# 33.Great idea.
hello men
#35. Find another site for ?????
It’s so surprising that some disgrunrled individuals still talk about the NCC being costly and futile.NCC means well and alot to Zed.VIVA LPM….even if you retired today,you will have left some legacy.NCC should continue with or without you………
#26 google the constitution
Is there any constitution in Zambia? If there is one,it will be mis-interpreted by our own claimed educated personnel full of theories from their Universities & not practicals.
#35 you must be one ugly chick. You’re looking for electronic men after being lost in the real world. Go home and cook something.
Bravo Faustina and Bravo NCC.
Mr sata: which one is more dangerous supporting NCC or supporting Chiluba’s third term ? Please, leave them alone to develop Zambia…
Well said , just the Chiluba led constitution barred KK in 1996!