Delegates to the sector group convention have unanimously adopted the 50+ one system of electing a republican President.
The group has recommended that Article 99 (7) which states that a presidential candidate who has qualified for the second ballot dies or is disqualified for any reason under the Constitution should be amended so that the next candidate can assume the place of the first candidate.
During the sector group convention at Lusaka’s Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) yesterday, the delegates also proposed for the mixed proportional representative system for electing Members of Parliament (MPs).
Earlier, the delegates were reminded that Zambians are looking up to them to provide the best technical expertise that will help produce the constitution that will stand the test of time.
Chairperson for the Technical Committee on Drafting the Zambia Constitution Annel Silungwe said this to the delegates during the official opening of the three-day sector groups convention at Mulungushi International Conference Centre (MICC) in Lusaka yesterday.
Justice Silungwe told the participants comprising professionals and experts from various Governmental and Non-Governmental institutions that they should set a firm foundation that the subsequent generations would be able to build upon.
“I would like to underscore the fact that, as the majority of Zambians out there do not have the privilege of participating in this important process, they and we in the technical committee look up to you to provide the best technical expertise,” Justice Silungwe said.
He said this would only be achieved if all the delegates would be selfless and generously use their talent, skills and experiences to shape an admirable new Constitution for Zambia.
He said the sector groups’ convention was convened to assist the technical committee to technically improve on the content of the first draft Constitution.
He urged the participants to be broad minded, objective and above all put national interest first.
The recommendations of the convention together with submissions of local and international experts in constitutional law and practice as well as resolutions of the national convention would be used as the basis for producing the final Constitution.
He commended the people that had been given the opportunity to participate in the Constitution consultative process so far for doing so with great sense of patriotism.
He maintained that the final draft would be ready by June 30, 2013 and would be presented to the President and subsequently to the general public.
“During the period September 2012 and February 2013 the technical committee reached out to stakeholders and other interested parties at district and provincial levels by holding district consultative foras in 82 districts and conventions in all 10 provinces,” he said.
If it is not broken, dont fix it
What is wrong with the current election system?
Zambians are so dull
Thanks
Ba Author, I think it would be hopeful to your readers to sometimes define, briefly, what some of these terms/theories mean: What is a “mixed proportional representative system”?!
I am sorry, but not all of us are well vest in Constitution law and the like. Thanks!
There you have it,the 50% +1 system recently used in kenya to elect Uburu Kenyanta to the presidency.Good system to weed out unpopular spoilers.
“Helpful”….and Not “Hopeful’…..above!
UKWA IN CHINA
So that the era of being ruled by unpopular leaders can be history. Good propoasl.
@ [Analysis Corner]. Your point being? We all know that the President is in China. If you have nothing to contribute to the topic best move on to ZWD where your kind thrive.
Now back to the topic. Well done! This is what people have been asking for. I pray this constitution will be adopted.
50+1 is long overdue.It will ensure that a popular candidate becomes the president!!
Too bad to regional parties. ever engaging in pacts since they cant go out of southern. mwaladabwa nomba
This test of time thing about the constitution is annoying to say the least. The constitution should be relevant and amended as often and as many times as possible as long we do it with good intentions for the betterment of the nation and not with hidden agendas.
Any law that loses its relevance is oppressive. Law should save the pipo and not the other way round.
the main issues zed has is excessive presidential powers, presi appointing ERD,ZESCO,ZAWA, INDENI, ECZ BOARDS and Office bears, media,Police,( seperation of power) check out developed countries government systems and ours then draw a line that gonna open up ur heads, as long as presedent countinue meeting.
@ No. 2, Yambayamba, I was thinking exactly the same thing – what on earth is a “mixed proportional represenative system” and why can’t the author explain this?
….of course, I’m sure the truth is that the reporter doesn’t know either.
I think the ruling party should continue…. The currrent system of the ‘VP + the 3 months fight’ is just OK.
This is long overdue.
We didn’t expect anything else other than this on electing a president
Ba MUSHOTA INCLUSIVE VERY DULLO
yes 50 plus one … and vice president `running mate“ HH OR NEVERS…there things can happen, hahaahah……
While we are on the topic of the constitution, I have followed some of the reports from the different provincial meetings on the same, my question is, what mechanism will be used to adopt some contentious issues which were not unanimously agreed upon? Take this 50% + 1. I guess some provinces didn’t agree on it while some did. Will these be decided on the law of averages (i.e. majority carries the day) or passed on to another group to adjudicate? Cheers.
Now that Mr Sata listens to pipo l know at last we are going to have a constitution that we have been crying 4, for 2 long .Other leaders were afraid of the 50% + 1.U KNOW THEM.
WHAT IF NO ONE ATTAINS THE 50%+1. WHAT HAPPENS? ARE VOTERS GOING TO BE FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TOP TWO RUNNERS-UP? AND WHAT IF MY FAVORITE CANDIDATE CAME OUT THIRD? IS IT FAIR THAT I SHOULD BE FORCED TO CHOOSE AMONG MY LEAST LIKED CANDIDATES?
@Yambayamba
Proportional Representation System or PRS is a system where the parliamentary seats will be shared according to the total percentage vote obtained by a particular political party! This means that even those small parties like Chipimo’s, Miyanda’s will have representatives depending on the total percentage vote they will obtain in a particular election! Technically, the country will be a single constituency and for example,in 2016 of the total votes, PF will get 80%, UPND 10%, MMD 5%, NAREP 5%! Those percentages will then reflect the number of MPs for the indicated parties!
@ Chisenga: The system for presidential will be 2Round System. If no one gets 50%+1 the top 2 contenders go for re run until one gets 50%+1! These are very progressive systems in a country like zambia!
Remember what happened in Zim when both Moggy and Bob failed to get 50%+1.
How safe will be the president if the next in line knows that if he dies, then he is next. This is a bad ammendment. These people representing us are not thinking of such repurcussion. This will endanger the presidents life
This how PF performed in 2011. check the numbers. 68% of the votes Sata got came from Luapula, Copperbelt and Northern. In Lusaka, he got 240,000. From Eastern, Northwestern, Southern, Central and Western combined, he got 210,000. Regionalism in Zambia is serious.
If in doubt, go to the ECZ website and check the figures. dont accuse some parties of regionalism when you have not checked the numbers.
Analysis corner: clear manifestation of sickness. Yes, he is in China, so what? Go to Chainama for mental ‘analysis’.
Good ! Looking forward to the Referendum !
Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system, if 30% of voters support a particular party then roughly 30% of seats will be won by that party. PR is an alternative to voting systems based on single-member districts or on bloc voting; these non-PR systems tend to produce disproportionate outcomes and to have a bias in favour of larger political groups. PR systems tend to produce a proliferation of political parties. There are many different forms of proportional representation. Some are focused solely on achieving the proportional representation of different political parties…
Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system, if 30% of voters support a particular party then roughly 30% of seats will be won by that party.