The PF government has been reminded that Zambia’s new constitution will only stand the test of time and command the respect of all citizens if it is adopted through a referendum.
The Grand Coalition on the Campaign for the People Driven Constitution says government should keep it in mind, while pondering the enactment of the new constitution that the document must been endorsed and approved by the people.
Speaking during a panel discussion in Lusaka this morning under the theme: ‘Dialogue on the enactment of the new constitution’, Grand Coalition member Cleophas Lungu said the Coalition still maintains that the foundation of new constitution must be based on the Bill of Rights.
Father Lungu, who is also Oasis Forum and Zambia Episcopal Conference Spokesperson, said that for the fact that the Bill of Rights has been tempered with, it must also follow that the final draft constitution has to be adopted through a national referendum.
He noted that it will be an act of sidelining and suppressing the ultimate will of the people of Zambia, if the final draft constitution in its current form is enacted into law by Parliament without first being subjected to the referendum.
And speaking on the same panel, Grand Coalition member Linda Kasonde also reiterated the reason why the Grand Coalition thinks the country’s new constitution cannot be amended in piecemeal through Parliament as allegedly proposed by government.
Ms. Kasonde, who is also Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) vice president, says the coalition holds this contention because voting in Parliament when enacting laws is done on partisan lines and therefore people cannot depend on the good will of lawmakers.
Another panelist Gladys Mutukwa stressed the need to have a systematic roadmap for enacting the country’s new constitution.Ms. Mutukwa said that the roadmap government has released for the current constitution making process moves two steps forward and five step backwards.
You as an organization told the EL/PF that you will de-campaign them during the last elections because they refused to sign your coercive politically embedded road map.
Now you want them to follow your same old road map? Tell your American and EU funders that the PF will and will never be pushed!!
I dont care about the piece of document, it tarnished the Greatest President in Zambia’s history
Mr MC Sata
For all I care I don’t want to see , ever read it unless it remove the barring of the likes of Scott, My children, who will be half zambian half British otherwise, it can go and wipe my place ‘where the sun don’t shine’
Sorry thats just how i feel about it.
Thanks
Bb2014
Why does zambia need provincial legislatures? The country cannot afford it. Why spend more on politicians? What value will that bring? And it also seems like a Barotse attempt to break up Zambia.
Yes we want a new constitution but the Grand Coalition should avoid been seen to be politicking.
Can you define “Politicking”! It seems no one, especially those belonging to some church or NGO, can say anything without being accused of “politicking”
Obviously this constitution is way overdue, it should have been delivered like 3 years + 90 days ago. I have just have a concern over the obsession of this Grand Coalition insisting on the so called referendum.
Why are they obsessed with this? I think I agree with people saying the referendum is unnecessary, lets take all the keys issues to parlaimanent and change them. Contention issues can be deferred to the referendum along side the 2016 elections, 90% of the things in the draft constitution can pass in parliament. It is only the issue of Homos and Chiefs issue on land that might be contentious.
Sometimes it is good to read the mood, how effective was their no social contract no vote campaign.
On a lighter note on maths @MMD Chief Bootlicker, I guess you did the basic hierarchy of basic maths operands. I guess 3 years + 90 days ago is not the same as 3 years ago + 90 days.
Ago is negative, so
1st operation : -(3years + 90 days) = -3 years – 90 days (your assertion)
2nd operation: (-3years) + 90 days = -3 years + 90 days (the alternative)
I guess you meant the second, 3 years ago + 90days.
Zambians must endorse constitution? It sounds like Zambians must repeat themselves! Are they not the one who submitted those contents? did we not spend a lot of money to collect those submissions? need we spend more? funny how muzungu keeps us going round circles instead of developing. damn it we have lived very well without that useless constitution. we can do without it! lazy people with nothing to do form a coalition and start living by the useless gathering and we have to suffer? No! Find something better and more productive to do please!
you dont have any thing else to do apart from this constitution thing? am getting tired of this song, lets sing something else mwe,
There is a worrying arms deal story on the Zambian watchdog site. If it is true then Zambia is back to the stinking corruption days of Chiluba and co.
PLEASE THIS IS LT. AND NOT ZWD. KEEP TO YOUR DOG. WE DONT LIKE IT. AND YOUR STORY IS WAY OUT OF TOPIC HERE.
That story should stay on ZWD. Some of us don’t read ZWD and don’t want to know what’s going on there.
ZWD practices journalism terrorism their jihad is to see Zambia up in flames as a result of their lies innuendoes and quarter ”truths”.
Frankly speaking, the draft constitution is a flawed document by many regards. It really needs relooking. It lacks proper decentralization and recognition of a federal state where resources are decemtralized etc. This is a mere joke and adults trying hard to validate the allowances they got for sitting down to document crap!
Most of the comments here are worying.i would have supported the parliament route had it been ministers appointed outside parliament.all pf and some mmd mps would vote Yes on a FROG even if they no and see that its a frog due to FEAR.
I SOMETIMES GET CONFUSED. PEOPLE WERE BUSY INSULTING THE PF FOR NOT RELEASING A NEW CONSTITUTION ON TIME AND CALLED SATA ALL SORTS OF NAMES. AND NGOS OF ALL SHADES AND HUES GATHERED AT CATHEDRAL OF THE HOLY CROSS TO RENOUNCE THE PF FOR DELAYING THE CONSTITUTION. NOW IT SEEMS EDGAR LUNGU WANTS TO RELEASE THE SAID CONSTITUTION FAST, EVEN FASTER THAN THE REFERENDUM CAN ALLOW. THE SAME NGOS ARE DRAGGING THEIR FEET NOW. NOW ITS THE NGOS DELAYING THE ENACTMENT OF THIS CONSTITUTION.
WE HAVE ALWAYS REMINDED YOU THAT IF IT COMES FROM PF, IT IS LIES! REFERENDUM IS THE WAY TO GO. THERE ARE NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT. CONSTITUTION IS NOT FOR PF, CONSTITUTION IS FOR THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE.
I have read part of the draft constitution and I tell you some of the stuff in there is total hallucination. Entitlement to housing, Provincial assemblies etc etc. Any one out there who can throw a figure as to how much the adoption process will cost from national census, referendum, upto assenting the bill?
A referendum means going to the polling station again! I am not ready
These priests Chiti and Lungu if they came to my town I wouldnt attend their mass. President Lungu has not refused to do what they want but running government is not like running a kitchen at your home. You want to rush him? Go for confession you dumbbells
Hahaha, Grand coalition of liars??? They told us they would decampaign any one who would not sign the social contract on the constitution, yet they sang praises of the PF that never signed the same. Shameless individual and liars. Let them not use the name of “”Zambians “in their shoddy deals of lies. I am ashamed of them because I once believed !!!
Fr Bwalya started like this Fr Chiti until one day he insulted Bishop O’Regan and things have never been the same for this Fr Bwalya.
I don’t agree with because what matters is the content of constitution not the mode of adoption. It still cannot stand the test of time and command the respect of all citizens even if content is rubbish, even if it is adopted through a referendum
NAREP have pulled out of the Grand Commission and the USA have said they are not ready to fund the REFRENDUM