The Foundation for Democratic Process, FODEP, has welcomed the proposal by government for a national Indaba.
FODEP Executive Director, Elijah Ruvuta, said the proposed National Indaba is an important step in efforts of resolving some of the contentious issues and challenges facing the nation.
Mr Ruvuta said the indaba should, however, be premised on addressing some of the current political, social and economic problems haunting the country.
Mr. Ruvuta told ZANIS in a statement today, that the National indaba is also likely to give proper and clear policy direction to the country.
He observed that Zambia recently has been engulfed in serious challenges and problems ranging from the depreciation of the local currency to rising commodity prices, which are threatening the country’s attainment of the Vision 2030 and Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.
He explained that his organization hopes that the indaba will also address issues such as the perceptible waning confidence in the country’s governance system.
He stated that through the indaba, the country could achieve progress in addressing corruption, poverty and HIV/AIDS.
Mr. Ruvuta noted that as the country aims to attain the status of middle income economy by the year 2030, the indaba would be a good platform to review progress in attaining the Vision 2030 and 2015 MDGs targets.
He added that the indaba could also enable the country adequately prepare for the 2011 tripartite Elections and the electoral issues, the Constitution and the possible Referendum, the strategies to tackle the effects of the global economic meltdown on Zambia and its citizen and to promote political harmony in the country.
Mr. Ruvuta also pointed out that the proposed indaba could be an opportunity to address the above issues that are critical to the growth of democracy in the country.
He has since, urged stakeholders to bury their differences and jointly work on strategies to confront national problems.
ZANIS/MM/ENDS/SJK.
Other nations did this a while ago. Let’s hope they come up with good measures to overcome these difficult times.
I think more meat need 2 be added to this story. For example what will the Indaba comprise of? What will be its contribution to the nation and so on? The plan is good but maybe just its implementation might be tricky./// Remember what happened to our national constitution, we started so well but look at the finishing in the NCC….
Sensible thinking requires support from every Zambian . can we be seen to provide solutions ..
…and those elected into government are there to do what exactly?
Not much could be expected form such indabas going by our past experience.The best solution has been the one to one reconciliations (HH meets RB or Sata reconciles with Levy etc, etc). Bring these differring groups to indaba has always been like preparing the right battle field for these differring leaders to display their arsenals.
This will just drain our meagre resources. How much money was wasted during Mwanawasa’s indaba?
VCDrGO