The Southern African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) says government’s concerns against holding a constitution referendum before 2016 are genuine.
Chief Government Spokesperson Chishimba Kambwili has said government has reservations on holding a national referendum as a mode of adopting the new constitution because it might end up being an exercise in futility owing to the voter apathy that has characterized elections in the country.
SACCORD however thinks that now that government has countered other stakeholders on holding a referendum on the final draft constitution before the 2016 general election, a stalemate has been reached on how the country’s new constitution should be enacted.
Executive Director Boniface Cheembe says his organization is therefore proposing that government calls for a roundtable constitution summit with all relevant stakeholders in order to come up with an ultimate way forward as regards the enactment of the country’ new constitution.
Mr. Cheembe says SACCORD is also advising government and other stakeholders who will attend the proposed constitution summit not to go with preconceived minds.
He says both government and the stakeholders ought to have flexible minds in order to reach an amicable consensus in resolving such a sensitive conflict.
Mr. Cheembe states this means government should further avoid advancing its position of how best the country’s constitution can be enacted not until the constitutional summit has been held and consensus reached.
Meanwhile, Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has appealed to the leadership of the Grand Coalition to do a sober reflection on why some members are leaving the coalition before it collapses.
And YALI says it has been vindicated by the pulling out of some members from the Grand Coalition stating that the agenda of the coalition has been diluted by certain individuals.
YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza has told QFM News via telephone that the pulling out of NAREP and ZDDM from the Grand Coalition and the reasons assigned to this pull out is a vindication of his organization.
Mr. Mwanza says the partisan route the Grand Coalition has been taking which goes against its earlier mandate as a forum for a people driven constitution is what is making members lose confidence in the coalition.
Mr. Mwanza states that YALI would not like to see the collapse of the Grand Coalition whose founding principle was well meant, but that the remaining coalition members should do some self reflection on the Grand Coalition and redirect its efforts.
He says the coalition has principally been serving as an organisation to demonize those that don’t agree with their roadmap and YALI is well aware of some of its members who have been lobbying some cooperating partners to stop funding his organisation.
Mr Mwanza states that YALI is prepared to be part of the reform and redirection process of the Grand Coalition if honest and sincere talks can be held among civil society partners on the future of the coalition.
So, we are not having the constitution before 2016. What else are we not having?
you will be having 1 us dollar trading @ K10 by 2016
The Kwacha has continued going down even after breaching the K7, 000 per USD line.
Today, (Thursday February 19, 2015) one USA Dollar is selling at K7.1292. A British Pound is going for K11, 019. To buy One Euro you need K8, 141
Just yesterday, one USA Dollar was selling at K7000 Zambian Kwacha (or K7 PF currency) in most commercial banks.
In Bureaux de change where many people buy foreign currency, one Dollar had reached K7.2.
One British Pound was selling at K11, 000 in most Bureaux de change. In commercial banks 1 Pound is going for K10, 800. ZANACO, FNB, Barclays are all selling 1 USD dollar above K7, 000……..
Zambia the real Africa!!.
Democracy is not cheap, let us stop postponing the constitution issue and have it closed before or during the 2016 elections.
The constitution has became an annual event it should be closed please we are tired.
For once can’t these politicians learn to sacrifice their salaries for the next 12 months so that we can have a referendum. This will serve as a test to see who is there for personal gain or for their constituency/country. That will be true leadership right there. Villagers in rural parts of Zambia have been able to build community schools for themselves by sacrificing their monies. Why can’t they do the same. Knowing these politicians of ours that can only happen in my dream.
There will always be one concern of one type or other; an excuse in one form or another. The point is, this issue has dragged for far too long. Where there is a will, there is always a way.
Who doesn’t know about the 50 plus 1% clause? That is the real issue. The rest is trash – merely cheap delaying tactics.
This is what they call Donchi Kubeba! The people of Zambia have been deprived of a people driven constitution in favor of the “animal one”.
Open your eyes wide open, every gov’t from FTJ to Lungu, have all miserably failed to deliver the constitution. Worse still, PF is in massive debt & have no money.
Ever since PF came to power, there has always been by perpetual by elections & swearing in anticipations’ whilst they fail to deliver.
Having a visionless leader as of current, the country is destined for DOOM.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
The Government is not against the specific provisions going by the comments but its the mode of adoption. In fact the President even said if you want the 50+1, the running mate he was ready for those to be incorporated even now so that. Why not take those key issues in the constitution now? Why is this “Collision” only after referendum and not the content?
As Zambians,we should be realistic.GRZ’s proposal is that those provisions in the constitution that do not need holding of a referendum should be enacted by Parliament within the sitting of the session to be opened soon.In 2016,as we hold the Tripartite General Election,the referendum question should be part of the voting thereby killing two birds with one stone.Quiet frankly,I do not see why the Grand Coalition is non supportive of this suggestion.What is in it for them?
what’s wrong with adopting the new constitution through existing structures? For example, through parliament or a cheap constitution assembly. Can someone please educate me on this.
You are already educated, it’s you that should be the educator!
Look it makes sense, parliamentary route. The problem here is the people who are dependant on funding. They must be seen making noise, even incoherent noise that correct thinking people can see is nothing but subterfuge.
Gov’t needs to show Leadership and ‘call it.’
The only talk should have been about Clause This, Clause That.
Totally agree with you Mungule. But how will these Churches and NGO’s chew donor funds? If you believe these chaps really care about the Constitution then you have another thing coming
What short memories some people have. Didn’t we try the parliamentary route before? How did the Presidential parenthood clause come about? To fix Kaunda! If this was Congress or British Parliament where MPs can debate and discuss according to their conscience then it can work but what will happen is that ruling MPs will be summoned to State house to be instructed on how to vote chapwa!
We have Parliament for a reason. All these Summits, Grand This, Resolution That; are not part of our Democratic institutions. Enough. PF must show leadership and STOP dithering. It’s one thing to be inclusive but another to create a free for all.
Disband the coalition as it has been corrupted by UPND. This coalition exists only to feather the nests and interests of one noisy individual. HH has failed to win any election even a parliamentary seat; and with no route to gov’t power has been spreading his Kwachas through these type of ‘Stake Holding’ practitioners. I mean the type of people who literally hold a stake over you if you differ.
Spot on! Well said! But believe me these chaps will try every trick in the book to find a way that will benefit them
It’s all utter rubbish.
Will it be a crime to have a new constitution through Parliament and amend some clauses or its a must we should follow The Grand Coalition way? Please help me understand.
So what is wrong with amending the current constitution. It is safer and the stupid UN wont want us to add nonsense when making amendments.
Cheembe why do u think so low? We need referendum! Voter apathy will always be there as long as one tribe thinks that they should always be in power once they are not in power they chose a rubber stamp to be there president oh no
There you go tribal again.Ati rubber stamp president.EL and Wina are your leaders.Why do you want to blame this and that tribe.Leaders are chosen by God.So respect the will of God.
Zambia cannot afford to spend massive just to ensure Grand Collision members earn big to stuff their tummies
Ifuntu. ni Lungu!
You want to know how these NGO s will make money out of this issue? They are already making it out of making noise
@Patriot Abroad – It’s cardinal you debate issues other than personalities. With regard to the topic above, where does HH feature in or are you pregnant with hatred for HH ? May be you have got a mental problem which need to cured. The New Constitution is not for Hakainde but for all Zambians and your godfather Lungu and his colholts during campaigns last January used to go round the country cheating the Zambians that the constitution was going to be their priority, what has gone wrong all of a sudden, were they getting those words from Hakainde ? you must be a patient in the head and needs treatment. The economy of Zambia is right now going into the woods with heavy debts almost at HIPC level and you continue supporting movents which have got no focus for this nation – shame on you.
Why are you wasting your time in trying to educate person who was subjected to lobotomy which went wrong. For “patriots” (lol) like him,
democracy means bottom licking, equality translates in tribalism, rule of law to bush, life time achievements to seat on the Board of loss making State owned enterprise.
Please lets dicuss the issue at hand. Lungu & HH are just human beings like us. Neither of them can perform a miracle that will change Zambia into a perfect world.
It will be a money-wasting exercise.NGOs want to eat, thus the noise. Grand what? ………. Let us discuss more important issues like making Kambwili the chief spokesman, a bloated cabinet,a currency which is fast slipping .. the list is long
Voter apathy needs voter education. That means more time is required to formulate a viable voter education strategy. The question of by passing the referendum is a constitutional issue. First ammend the Constitution. The referendum can only be conducted when funds become available. Since the funds are not available, the referendum will wait for the funds. But cutting the Constitution into pieces is not the best option in a democracy.
The Grand chakuti just in it for thier bellies nothing more! Rubbish, just amend a few portions here and there and we are done!
So does any one know exactly the projected cost of enacting the constitution through the referendum?
I’m tired of the alarmist way of just saying that it is expensive without even letting people know exactly how much it will cost.
Zambia is capable of mobilizing funds and secure good governance today and for future generations to come. The adoption of the constitution in its entirety through a referendum must be treated as an investment and granted the seriousness it deserves. And it is very feasible to adopt it through the referendum if government expenditure regularities are addressed.
Just have a good read of the auditor general report for the FY2014.
Is the blotted government worth the expenditure of tax payers money, at the expense of a modern constitution?
Wake up…
……..if government expenditure irregularities…..
Mr Boniface Chembe, well spoken but now you have introduced another problem, very big problem actually. How are the delegates to your proposed roundtable constitution conference to be selected. Remember that previous attempts have run into problems for such silly reasons which are actually very big issues for some people.
Do not forget that in effect you are now talking about tuma sitting allowances ka?
But maybe not to worry, the donors understand us very well and may agree to fund tuma allowances, it’s much much much cheaper than funding a referendum, if you ask Mr Schultz.