Thursday, March 28, 2024

NAREP Responds to General Godfrey Miyanda

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NATIONAL RESTORATION PARTY
PRESS STATEMENT

GEN GODFREY MIYANDA MUST TAKE TIME TO UNDERSTAND THE NAREP BLUEPRINT

General Godfrey Miyanda has weighed in on the debate that has been generated by the publication of the NAREP blueprint for an interim government. We welcome such debate and are pleased to provide a direct response to General Miyanda.

The fundamental assumption that General Miyanda relies on is that the interim president will not be the commander in chief of the armed forces. He is wrong in that assumption. The interim president will be sworn in just like any president who has won a general election and as a result will be the commander in chief of the armed forces and will have all the powers that are accorded to a sitting president.

The concept of an interim president is just that – to manage all the functions of government during an “interim” period while a new constitutional framework is out in place which is guided by that very person. The interim president would have an interim cabinet and would perform all executive functions until his handover date (which would be set in place by an amendment to the existing constitution after the 2016 elections).

Pretty much all of the objections by General Miyanda, given that they are premised on the belief that this interim president would not be commander in chief (which as pointed out is an incoherent assumption), fall away.

There will be no lacuna or vacuum in respect of any and all the functions of the head if state and the government during the interim presidency. Even the national budget has to be passed and appointments to various official positions have to be made and the very interim president will perform these roles.

Finally, when we said that this was “part of our campaign”, we were simply pointing out that this was something ?we would be spreading to the Zambian people as we campaign for our Party all around the country. Note that this was in response to the question during the press conference as to whether we were now suspending our campaigns as NAREP in order to promote this idea. We further call upon every well-meaning citizen to dismiss Gen Miyanda’s calls for the Zambians not to support this idea.

National Restoration Party
Bishop Jevan Kamanga
General Secretary

27 COMMENTS

    • Iwe you don’t have to tell us your dislikes. There are people who hate women from your tribe, too, but they don’t blog on it.

    • NALEPU trying to mae itself relevant on the political scene. Just join PF and continue going to Brazil. Tell us the benefits of your trip other than wasting public resources. Just SHUT PUT>

    • I understood you first time you twit. Your mother being LOZI and having half aborted you, you obviously have issues with all Lozi women. Twit!

  1. Ok. Granted. But lets get off this dias of campaign and NGO posters and get down to make our representatives actually work. It appears we put MPs into parliament and then chart a different route to try and get our way. I find this absurd. It is high time we created a system of lobbying our representatives and holding them actively accountable. This interim government business requires a change in some constitutional clause (either in the existing constitution, or the incoming one). There simply is no provision for an interim government in our constitution. Period.

  2. Soooo, WE AMEND CURRENT CONSTITUTION FIRST, TO ALLOW FOR “INTERIM” GOVT TO COME AND GIVE US “THE CONSTITUTION”?

    • Sounds funny, huh? But – yes. That way we don’t start opening the gate to other unlawful acts at a grand scale.

    • NAREP the challenge here is that the present legal frame work , can you explain the legal implication of your idea? otherwise this treason under the current constitution. And i have a problem with this thought especially that it is coming from a lawyer. This is not workable period.

  3. ..one can easily tell from their response, NAREP look deflated. They are holding on to the last thread of their idea just to save their face. Deep down their souls, they have already abandoned the proposal. (tapaba nsoni) don’t be shy, just come out and admit that you overlooked certain legal parameters. Ever since you brought up your idea, out of 343 comments posted on this site alone, only 17 comments were in your favour, probably from your minions.
    Probably what NAREP should do is refine their idea by taking out the unnecessary ‘fat’ like..neutral person, 9 months interim. Just settle on opposition fielding one candidate. That way it even eliminates this cry for 50+1 clause because it will be a ‘two horse race’. That candidate’s priority shall be new constitution period..

    • …..the only problem, is it feasible for opposition to settle on one candidate…??…The opposition themselves will oppose to that to the delight of PF….and PF will do everything possible to ensure that does not happen.
      Its open secret that the new constitution may not be available for 2016 elections. The other root is to pressurise PF atleast to amend the simple majority clause into 50+1…absolutely no cost involved which PF are crying about for the new constitution. KK did that when repealing article 4 to usher in multipartism.
      If opposition fail to agree to feature one candidate, 50+1 will guarantee them that opportunity….

  4. God: Is your name ‘Godfrey Miyanda’?

    General: No my Lord, my name is General Godfrey Miyanda.

    That is how confused our General is. A title is not a name, it is just a salutation. Unfortunately, general will argue with and about everything.

    • @ PF Leader: sometimes it is better to ask and appear knowledgeable than confirm that you do not know what you are talking about. In the military it is a practice and custom for Commissioned Officers who have attained Field Rank (that is Major, Lt Col, Brig Gen, Major General, General and Field Marshall and excluding lieutenant and captain) to retain their ranks till God calls them. A rank or title as you call it is just that, a tile such as Doctor PF leader, Archbishop Mumba, Pope Francis. You are not going to ask the Pope to stop using his title are you? Now let the people decide who is confused. Next time do not join the debate if you have nothing to say. I look forward to read your reasoned response on the NAREP statement if you are able to. Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda/

  5. The General is saying that removing a legitimate elected government for the sake of appeasing opposition parties is tantamount to a coup d’état. The presidential mandate must run full mandate in order to guarantee constitutional order, rule of law and respect of human rights. The only option would be a vote of no confidence or impeachment. It is subversive to argue otherwise.

  6. Childish Chipimo. What the hell is this “interim” who determines what is “interim” who choses this president and from which group? what law will govern the people in that “interim” it is just childish. How can you sell yourself as a president like this?

  7. Is that it? I have to admit I expected more depth from NAREP than this. I know the ruling PF is a pain in the neck to any well meaning Zambian as it goes against all norms of peace and development and Sata is evidently mentally ill. But you NAREP are now beginning to sound like a friction book. I don’t mean to be rude, but your response cannot be from a fully functioning group of adults, unless it is an attempt to create a smokescreen for something else. Is this emanating from NAREP’s obscure ideology or what? What is it anyway? Restoration of Zambia or something? And you restore by abrogating laid down laws? Guys, lets be serious!

  8. Chipimo may have a point but problem is even the so called interim president once tests the fruit of current constitution may never let go of it. Its just too sweet for any incumbent.

  9. “The interim president …. would perform all executive functions until his handover date (which would be set in place by an AMENDMENT to the existing constitution after the 2016 elections)”. I can bet you this process would take forever to be accomplished, if ever; and we would get lost in the squabbles and all, such that we would not even know what the whole fuss is all about! Madness if you ask me…

  10. The other point raised by Brig. is that All of us are partisan…Bishops, Police, soldiers, Unions…kaufela, may be 20 yrs ago. So who is that neutral/mature person will that be.. may be a frog. And if this passes wont the credit go to NAREP hence making them front runners. dream on my NAREP colleagues

  11. @NAREP STATEMENT: Apologies to all; I had posted a quick response just after 08.00 as I was rushing to the burial of our ZAF officers and promised to respond later but was out all day. I don’t see the post. This is gist of my earlier posting “NAREP has shifted the goal posts and I will respond later in the day. Suffice to say if NAREP will use the current Constitution in the Interim period then there is NO Blue Print; the only new thing being the 9 month tenure, which is an improvement on the PF 90 day idea!”. I will respond to the statement later today. Brig Gem Miyanda///

  12. We are better off trying the NAREP idea or be at the mercy of greedy politicians. It is a very practical idea of making the constitution a campaign issue and politicians that do not simply give lip service to the constitution should come together and consider this idea

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