The Oasis Forum has announced plans to come up with a private members bill to present to Parliament with the intention of protecting the current constitution making process and the contents of the new constitution.
This follows a multi-stakeholder consultative meeting to review the legislative framework of the current constitution-making process in anticipation of the forthcoming final draft Constitution.
The multi-stakeholder consultative meeting that was held this morning drew participants from the Law Association of Zambia, the Council of Churches in Zambia, the Zambia Episcopal Conference and the Non-Governmental Organization Coordinating Council among others.
Oasis Forum Spokesperson Cleophas Lungu has also disclosed during a media briefing in Lusaka this afternoon that the OASIS Forum has also resolved to explore all legal options to ensure that the current constitutional making process is successful.
Fr. Lungu who is also Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) Secretary General has further told journalists that the OASIS Forum has further resolved to ensure that the content of the final draft Constitution meets the basic minimum requirements of an ideal constitution as expressed by the people in the country.
Fr. Lungu has also reiterated the need for the Patriotic Front government to immediately appoint a referendum commission and provide in the 2014 National Budget funds for the national referendum.
Fr. Lungu says the OASIS Forum further suggests that the PF government ensures that the entire final Constitution be subjected to a referendum on the basis of a “yes” or a “no” vote.
He further adds that the OASIS Forum is also of the view that once the draft Constitution has been subjected to a vote and accepted by the people during the referendum, it should be enacted by Parliament without any debate.
The OASIS Forum has since affirmed its stance to continue advocating for the enactment of a constitution that represents the interests and aspirations of all the people in Zambia.
And here commences the battle OASIS forum! You are going to deal with the hardest hurdle this country has ever faced since the federal days.
This Government will put ALL at its disposal to ensure that the draft constitution in its current form is unrecognizable by the time its ‘adopted’.
If you notice, the Executive has already warmed up its engines to manipulate the process to suit its interests than that of its citizens. The insistence that the Head of the Judiciary remain unchanged,despite legal recommendations by experts, the desperate poaching of opposition MPs to meet a certain threshold,the legislative muscle flexing during RB’s immunity removal, the noises by Justice Minister of “more time” to “digest” the draft etc. These are bad signals for things to come. Now that…
…continued… now that subsidies have been removed, Government has more than enough resources at its disposal to guarantee a “bumpy ride” for all advocating for a people driven constitution. Even among your ranks OASIS forum will be some who will be bought to sabotage your organization and its mission.
The most targeted clause by Government will be the 50+1 %. OASIS forum must be armed with utmost resolve, I see a vicious fight by Government given its recent treatment of any opponent to its policies.
Perfect move!
The question is why the need for the Constitition to be inacted by Parliament, after the more superior organ, the People, have voted for it in a referundum. Shouldn’t the declaration of by the referendum Commmission and signature of its Chairperson or that of the Chief Justice be sufficient to legitimise the document on behalf of the People – why would the creatures of the constitution legitimise their creator, the Constitution. This is like asking the people to legitimise God after he created them – crazy!
In a company set-up directors, can not adopt the company charter re the memorandum and/or articles of association. In this case the MPs are the directors of the company called Zambia. It is therefore a misnomer for them to adopt the Constitution. Only the People of zambia should!
Not all Constitution making processes require to go through a referendum, so how do you have the people’s “vote” in this case?
@Maano, only Parliament has the Constitutional mandate to enact laws in Zambia, NO other body can do that. The Constitution being the “Supreme Law” of the land, that too needs Parliament’s blessings despite the referendum!