THE fourth session of the eleventh National Assembly, which adjourned sine die on March 26, resumes sittings today and is expected to discuss wide-ranging issues in its life.
Some of the issues expected to be tabled pertain to the constitution-making process and several bills which Cabinet has approved.
The Referendum and Constitutional Amendment Bill is expected to be tabled to shape the constitution-making programme which Zambia has embarked on.
The Income Tax Amendment Bill is also expected to be tabled following the proposed changes to the mining tax regime.
The Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (Amendment) Bill and National Pension Scheme (Amendment) Bill will seek to increase the retirement age to 60 years and provide for early retirement at 55 and late retirement at 65 years.
The House is also expected to ratify the appointment of Justice Esau Chulu as Electoral Commission of Zambia chairperson.
It will be without Bangweulu member of Parliament (PF) Chifita Matafwali, who died in India last month.
Chawama law-maker Lawrence Sichalwe (PF), who succeeded President Lungu in the constituency, will take his seat in the House, and so will Chisamba MP Moses Muteteka (MMD), who was recently pardoned.
Hitherto, MMD MPs for Senga Hill Kapembwa Simbao and his Masaiti counterpart Michael Katambo are expected to return to the House on the PF ticket.
The House will in due course receive three members from Petauke Central, Malambo and Mulobezi constituencies after by-elections slated for June 30.
Priority for this sitting should be rejecting piecemeal amendment of the constitution. We should be ashamed of ourselves that 50 years after independence, we are still struggling with enacting a constitution
AND I APPEAL TO OUR PARLIAMENT TO BE OBJECTIVE WHEN DISCUSSING ISSUES OF NATIONAL INTEREST. DON’T BRING IN ANY SELFISH INTERESTS JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE STILL SERVING, BECAUSE TOMORROW YOU WONT BE SERVING, YET THE VERY ILL DEBATED FOR PIECE OF LEGISLATURE WILL STILL HIT YOU HARD BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT OBJECTIVE AT A TIME. US GENUINE ZAMBIANS SAY NO TO DUAL CITIZENSHIP. ABASH DUAL CITIZENSHIP. I AM PROUD TO BE 100% ZAMBIAN, THAT IS WHY I REFUSED CITIZENSHIP WHERE I AM CURRENTLY.
peace meal enactment is the way to go because what we urgently need to be in effect will automatically come our way. imagine if we fail to meet the required numbers for the referendum and it flops, that will mean that even simple clauses flops too. Maybe some of you thinks we will be voting for individual clauses in the constitution, NO! During referendum we will be voting for the entire draft constitution in order to adopt a new constitution. In this case, even if it fails, we will still have our date of election enshrined in the constitution, we will still have dual citizenship, 50 plus 1%, running mate and so forth already in our new constitution. So lets all support pf govt on this initiative.
My appleal to all our mps is to do what is right for the country and not to be influenced by political parties.
@ truth. Well said! I just hope most of them can stay awake long enough.