JUSTICE Minister Sebastian Zulu has said the new Constitution to be drafted by the newly-constituted team of experts will not cost more than the K300 billion the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) consumed.
No allocation has been made in the 2012 Budget for the new Constitution but Mr Chikwanda told Parliament that the Government would use other avenues to secure funds to enact the document, whose process has started within the 90 days of the Patriotic Front (PF) in Government.
He said the roadmap to be taken on the Constitution-making process would be determined by a team of experts that has since been instituted and it would be the same body that would be able to state how much the exercise would take. “The cost will be determined after this team of experts is constituted but it won’t be like what the NCC spent,” Mr Zulu said in response to an oral question by Kamfinsa Member of Parliament (MP) Moses Chishimba (PF). The parliamentarian asked what the roadmap for the making of the new Constitution was and how much money would be spent on the Constitution-making process.
Kalomo MP Request Muntanga (UPND) in a follow-up question wondered how the Government would draw the funds for the exercise which has not been provided for in the Budget but Mr Zulu said “The minister of Finance knows how to source such funds even when not in the Budget.”Muchinga MP George Kunda (MMD) asked the minister to confirm that the Constitution-making process would gobble more than a general election to the tune of K300 billion since it entailed the holding of a referendum. Mr Zulu in response said in as much as it was true that a referendum would have to be held, it would be premature to determine the cost of the Constitution-making process.
Lunte MP Felix Mutati (MMD) wondered whether it would not be prudent now that the activity of the Constitution had been known to make provisions in the Budget as it is debated for the cost of the exercise to be known, to which Mr Zulu said the proposal would be considered. Monze MP Jack Mwiimbi (UPND) asked the Government to state categorically and inform the Zambians that the pronouncement by President Michael Sata to deliver a new Constitution within 90 days had now been buried, to which Mr Zulu said the process had started within the promised period.
Siavonga MP Kennedy Hamudulu (UPND) wondered why it would be premature for the minister to state how much the exercise would cost when he had indicated it would not be more that what the NCC spent. Mr Zulu in response said the process would not take more than one year like the latter did and so it would be less costly.
Nalikwanda MP Geoffrey Lungwangwa (MMD) stated that it was a presidential directive that the Constitution should be ready within 90 days and so the minister was abrogating the directive but Mr Chikwanda said he was not aware of the directive.
Meanwhile, the Government has considered the complaints raised by the people in Luapula Province regarding the seizure of the breast milk substitutes which were being sold in violation of the law.Minister of Health Joseph Kasonde told the House in a statement that the Government had taken into consideration that there was only one outlet for the breast milk substitute products which was Shoprite Mansa.
“The ministry has decided to suspend the exercise for now and decided to call a stakeholders’ meeting this week to discuss the issue and chart the way forward,” Dr Kasonde noted.
[Times of Zambia]
Why should the opposition MPs worry about the finances for enacting the constitution? The exercise has started meaning that the funds for the task are available eg part of the contigence funds in the budget line. Ba MMD bali ni ba lazo na Rabbit.
Ba Chikwanda na Herpes Zoster kumenso
What are you up to? You are posting this on articles.
The new post@2 he must have got from your wife, mum or sister
George Kunda, you should be the last one to worry what this process will gobble following your NCC botched attempt to thrust a dispicable document down our throats!!! If having a referendum is necessary and it will mean spending more than 300bn, them let it be as long as all the people are consulted and not only involving those discredited NCC mecenaries.
give credit where its due
The new consititution needs no budget according to Lubinda. Zulu says it will cost about K300 billion. Please educate me. What is a budget? You are all thieving PF bastards. Now I understand why you frustrated the MMD led consititution. Money making scheme this consititution. K300 billion? Now that is what I call put money in friends and relatives pockets.
#6 you are very dull. you can’t read simple english on this article? mukamwa mwako nimo lula, munyeleza such that all you want is to” talk”! malabishi shaa!
Failure by the whole PF govt to answer a simple question about the cost shows they are not serious, or they just wake up and announce something before analysing. It is just simple arithmetic which can give you the cost. You mean the whole cabinet can not calculate! Don’t hide information. you are our servants, or are you masters now?
WAT EVER, THE FACT IS THAT IT WILL BE CHEAPER AND QUICKER
fire the high court judges together with the chief justice and make cadre sebastian zulu the new chief justice.
kaya ba bokosi, her pants must be itching terribly
Why the man is sleeping on duty, this country called zambia is full of jokers sure the man is full cabinet minister and sleeping on duty ? Here where iam in he would be fired immediately
300 billion that is another scandal invovolving a few beneficiries………..say 30 billion i will accept
With regard to the Constitution Technical Committee membership, Is Zambia a Catholic Nation or Christian nation?
Is it Justice or injustice to have three Catholic Bishops in a nation were there are so many denominations/churches?
Honestly educate me fellows how do they arrive at K300billion am not an economist.but is it rentals food fuel 300billion is too much..even sitting allowance per hour should be scrapped off when making this constitution they should be paid per month.
sorry am lost. is it 300billion or 300million?
The Minister said it will cost less than 300 billion which was spent by MMD.Dull readers can you get him write,he is not saying it will cost 300 billion and he is not giving you any amount it will cost but he is sure that they are transparent and they know when the minister of Finance gives the money they will disclose to you how much it is.Dont critisize just because you where an MMD beneficiary.NO more ba Chimbwi !!!!
Imwe mwebantu, why so dull! He is not saying they will spend K300 billion. George Kunda and others are the ones who spent K300 billion. This process will cost much less than the previous one led by a certain George ‘Pitbull’ Kunda !
Kunda must be moarning that he will miss out on the loot this time around, remember how he was pushing forward the completion dates! and the 5 billion he wanted to award themselves. the thieves! and to imagine even Vera chiluba was on that NCC, i wonder what she contributed!
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