The National Constitution Commission (NCC) will submit its report and draft constitution to the Minister of Justice this year for onward transmission to parliament for adoption.
NCC chairperson Chifumu Banda said this morning that he was supremely confident that by July this year, the constitution-making body would have completed its task and submit its report and draft constitution as required by the NCC Act of 2007.
Mr. Banda was speaking when British High Commissioners to Zambia, Thomas Carter and Carolyn Davidson paid a courtesy call on him at his office today.
The NCC chairperson was pleased that the British government had offered to engage experts to assist with the editing of the final draft constitution.
He expressed confidence that this would add value to the NCC work.
He said six of the eleven NCC committees had already completed their work while the remaining five would complete theirs by next month.
Recounting the NCC calendar, Mr. Banda said the main conference would be summoned in April 2009 to consider and adopt the recommendation of all the reports in readiness for their submission to the Ministry of Justice.
“We are anxious to deliver a good constitution to the people of Zambia and we are sufficiently geared to deliver the task despite the challenges we are currently facing,” he said.
Some of the challenges included insufficient funds to translate the report and draft constitution into Zambia’s various local languages as well as publicizing the two documents for 60 consecutive days in the media as required by the NCC Act.
Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Zambia, Thomas Carter said his government was committed to helping the NCC to draft its report and constitution.
On additional assistance, Mr. Carter said he would discuss the issue with donors and cooperating partners.
The meeting was attended by NCC vice chairpersons, Leonard Hikaumba and Faustina Sinyangwe as well as NCC Secretary, Russell Mulele and chief rapporteur, Davison Mendamenda.
ZANIS/PC/KSH/ENDS
Do it fast and remember the 50%+1
Yes, but 50+1 please
That is what happens when you have an economist in charge. No wastage of resources. This is indeed good assurance from Mr Chifumu Banda
:)>- PLUS l-) …yES ..50 PLUS [-x
they better de;iver on time!
I have a feeling there will be no 50+1 am not at easy with these guys….Who sent Namulambe to say what he did about 50+1
ya, its been long coming mwee :d/
Can somebody guide me as to what will happen to the Draft that will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice? Will it go to Parley for further debate?
will see
hopefuly something good comes up
I thought the constitution is a National matter and we don’t need to go be for funding to have it finished!!!
The faster it is concluded the better but most important the 50+1 must be looked at as gospel :-w
:-@
Ok,fili ukotuleya,tukamona ngamuli amano nangu iyo :d
NCC, remember to propose that any further changes to the Zambian Republican Constitution MUST only be done through a REFERENDUM alongside a Presidential and General Elections, and not small elite groups like NCC.
Also, please address the issue of taking Census every 10 years for 10 years is too long. We need to be counting the number of Zambians every 5 years and not 10 so that an incoming GRZ can have numbers to work with as they campaign for elections e.g. Population Census in 2010 and then elections in 2011 and also subsequent Pop. Census in 2015 while elections come in 2016.
Knowing the population of the country is very important is for developing clear Manifestos on health care, …
15 continued.
education, water and sanitation in townships and compounds, employment projections, etc.
I hope all this NCC issue with come to a conclusive end in July as its Chairperson has indicated.
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LT 2008 Award Winner. =; for Zambia in 2011.
Maestro Hhehhehhehhe********
You are the minister of Justice,and as a very leanered citizen of this great nation,could you please get hold of that draft constitution report immediately it would be ready.I would like you to study it and compare it with The Mungomba draft,and see if at all there any alterations made it.I fore-see NCC reproducing the same Mungomba`s work.
That sounds good. I wonder what Sata wl say
ALL OF YOU ARE PRE-OCCUPIED WITH 50%+1 BUT DO YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS TO CONTEST AS MP OR PRESIDENT?
THIS IS WHAT BA SATA IS WORRIED ABOUT. PLEASE COMMENT
50+1 inga tamuli mukamona. Imwe kalekeni ako katusheko.Bushe kanshi uyu hehehe hohoho,takwata ifyakuchita? he must be a very lonely person. Just marry mambala!
halo ba guy pa NCC muposeko amano na kuli ka qualification.
Inchito ya bu kateka chimo na executive director wa ilya mutila conglomerate atemwa multi national company.so ka degree kalefwaika elyo na sober mind na decent language befiting a president. Balya ubapolikafye any how chikulu balanda
Confine them to inter city ok.
Zambians wake up and stop doing thing to the gallery of foreighn governments. As a nation we do not owe it to any foreign power in this world. Whatever those in power do they must not do it to please any co-operating partners, this is why development is hard to come by. I am saying this based on what is repotered as having been said by the NCC chairperson Chifumu Banda. The consititution is for Zambians and not for Britons or Americans. We are not under obligation to please them even if they do help us in one way or the other.
22 Dont be like mugabe. These Briton guy just went to see how far they have gone in drafting the constitution and help where they can. Chifubu report on adequate funds. And the Briton promised to donors may be they will do something. Thanx.
its time this charade came to an end
Those advocating for 50% + 1 are actually playing into the hands of MMD. MMD wants to potray a picture that it is against this Law when they are actually in favour. The reason is simple, if you consider the last elections a rerun between Sata and RB would have comeout in RBs favour because its almost imposible for Southern, western and Eastern to go to PF. if you look at the voter register the populations in southern and eastern are enough to counter the lusaka district and copperbelt vote.The MMD was then going to use the lusaka rural, N/western and Central votes to win by a good margin.this scenario will remain so for some time to come. Sata is quiet about this why????
The only way for MMD to give legitimacy to this constitution is to go against popular views even those in there favour and at the end allow those views to be taken in. By doing that the people would feel they blocked MMD from manipulating and therefore the constitution is people driven.This is why i ask people to think indipendently and beyond 2011 other than just taking populist views that appear to be against the govnt when infact they are in favour. We have good opposition in this country but unfortunately all of them have never mastered the art of the ballot. Be careful what you wish for so they say
“Insufficient funds to translate Report into Zambian local languages and publicising the 2 documents” Please do us a favour, sacrifice your already huge allowances. Thats if you are really doing it for the people of Zambia.
It must be July and not later than this. We beg
#27 sister
I think it will be a waste of resources because most people that cant read english can equally not read there local languages, they usually rely on there local litrate paster to read the bible for them. Infact even amoungest the elite that can read english most of them cant read the local language.In addition to that most illitrate people have no interest in reading any material worse a draft constitution.so if you publish a million of those drafts who is goinh to read???
#28 Engines. Chachine what you have said. It will just be tissue paper. What a waste of money. Maybe as I have suggested on 27, if only the NCC members can sacrifice their allowances, then even if it is used as tissue paper, it wont hurt much.
Some whispers-most delegates just wait for 2 things a) Tea Break, b)When to collect their allowances. So no attention or interest is paid to the deliberations. Just ask my mother who is a rep from Mansa. How she was picked beats me
#19 NKOLE. Are yoou sure that’s what is worrying Sata? Besides the fact that you do not exactly what education attainment Sata, most delegates cannot even read do not even why know why they are there. How can they pass a law that will disadvantage them? Have you seen that Mpombo is not talking about maxmum age? Reason? Because his Boss is older than Sata. May you also have the Mpombo syndrome? Pity you.
The constitution of this country must be a document drafted and edited by the Zambian people for the Zambian people.We have so many educated people in this country who can edit our constitution to the satisfaction of the Zambian people.The suggestion by the British High Commissioner to bring British experts to edit our constitution is in my own opinion not necessary for the simple reason that this is not a British constitution but a Zambian constitution.Did Britain ever invite other counries to edit its constitution .If so, which countries where invited to participate in that process so that we can learn from that understanding.
Zambia is not a Colony of Britain any more nor any other.
17. ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT, I understand MR “ZAMBIAN PRESIDENT”. I will do accordingly and give sound feedback in the shortest possible time.
#31, I asked bloggers to comment wether the Zambian Constitution should contain provisions on Academic qualifications for candidates wishing to contest as Mps or as President.
I wanted to know whether this would be desirable or not. The point about Bashi Chilufya was an aside only. I can however see that you have only reacted to the aside.
I really want to know whether we need our MPs and President to have academic qualifications which will be inspected by the Returning Officer at the time of nomination. Please address this issue.