LUSAKA Central Member of Parliament Guy Scott has opposed the parentage clause in the Draft Constitution Bill which was drafted when he was Vice President.
Dr Scott, who appeared in his own individual capacity as ruling party MP before the committee, submitted that the parentage clause be reversed to that of 1991.
The clause states that a person qualifies to be nominated as a candidate for election as a President if that person (a) was a citizen by birth or descent (b) has been ordinarily resident in Zambia, among other qualifications.
But Dr Scott said the provision was unfair as it denied citizens who and whose parents were born outside from being nominated as a candidate for election as President. He said the Draft Constitution on the parentage clause was discriminatory and contradictory to the clause on dual citizenship.
“We will have a lot of complications if we allow ourselves to proceed on this kind of lines,” Dr Scott said.
Dr Scott argued that all the clauses under article 100 were not making sense and suggested that it should be reserved to that of 1991.
Dr Scott was flanked by UPND Bweengwa Member of Parliament Hive Hamududu who also contended that the parentage clause was ‘‘useless’’ in the Draft Constitution.
Mr Hamududu said a proper validation should have been done before the document was taken to Parliament.
“The document needed a proper validation process because Zambians are not interested in the origin of a candidate but what he or she can deliver,” Mr Hamududu said.
Mr Hamududu said in its current form, the parentage clause was being used to fix political opponents by those in Government.
He however welcomed the 50%+1 vote contained in the draft Bill.
I am baffled that the clause is still there. I believe what should be enough is that of citizenship by birth as it is in the USA for example. That would be the furthest we should go. It is almost like we are in Myanmar where even a member of a family with a foreign passport disqualifies a candidate from running – all aimed at one individual. Let’s move away from “fixing” each other once and for all…
Stop bowing to the USA
They are not the all it all, pointing and running how they run their country as a benchmark is dull
Having said that I do agree that the parentage ought to be removed.
I am marrying a white man and I am worried what will happen to my children
Thanks
BB2014
When I think of friendship and wisdom between Guy Scott & Maiko Sata (rest in peace mudala), my heart loses 3-5 drops of bloods. Today we could have had Guy Scott carrying on his friend’s dreams.
But that discrimination has given us a damnt alcoholic, Edgar.
God must be crazy!!
Dr Guy Lindsay Scott is the second BEST PRESIDENT of Zambia after Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa.
As usual Dr Scott is perfectly right, the parentage clause and dual citizen are conflictual. As apparently an “Angolian~Malawian, a Congolese, Mwachusanian~Tanzanian Zimbambwean~Malawian” have been presidents before, why NOT Dr Scott when, he Scott was president after the demise of Sata King Cobra of 90 days symptomatic constitution!
Viva Dr Scott, the second best ever president of Zambia.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Scott you are 100percent right because Zambia need a white or any one from other country to rule as we have too much business men who wanted to be president in return they fail to govern the country. Look what is happening today ,all the mines are to be crossed by fake investors Government, opposition parties are all quiet so whom to think they will save pipo if they became presidents? No NO, SO we need the outside country to be president. Lets change what scott has said for us to be okay in zambia. Baka bova bafula abalefwaya ukuteka zambia.
Next we shall have a presidential candidates from anywhere and everywhere, as long as they are Zambians by birth, from Mongolia, from down under, from North Korea, oh, even from Kwa-Zulu-Natal, etc.
If that’s what people want, its ok.
Yes Chitutuma, just imagine Zambia had a Chinese president or just Chinese minister, that country will develop at lightning speed.
That does not matter as long as you are Zambia – black, white, green or yellow. What makes the difference with someone who was born in the USA and has lived all his life there and holds dual citizenship on the ground that his parents are Zambians?
I MAY BE WRONG, BUT DOES THAT CLAUSE NOT DISQUALIFY THE PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW AS HIS MOTHER IS MALAWIAN IF THE STORIES ARE TRUE?
No,
He gets around that because he was born in the 50s when Zambia and Malawi were together under the federation of Rhodesia and Zambia didn’t exist til 64. Scott lost out because his father was from the UK
Those holding dual citizenship should certainly be discriminated against. They should not qualify for certain strategic positions, e.g. President and his Vice, Army / ZAF / Police Commanders, etc. But Zambians born outside Zambia without dual citizenship should qualify for those same positions. We don’t need a Ben Carson to tell us this.
Whats your fear? You are very retrogressive, you certainly need to be helped. Your thinking is backwards. The focus should be on attracting the very best minds to develop the country background and other associations are things of the past. It’s people with your kind of thinking who should not hold higher office
What rubbish, if a kid is born in a foreign country his first citizenship is his country of birth, most countries allow dual so he can get his parents country of citizenship, if he renounces his citizenship of birth he gets deported to Zambia his dual country.
Aas for foreigners running Zambia our first president KK was from Malawi, and this is why we have this mess now as Chuluba changed it to prevent KK from returning. What is interesting 12 Commonwealth countries, Australia, NZ, PNG, Canada, Jamaica, Bermuda, Barbados, Trinidad ect have a foreigner as head of state- HM Queen Elizabeth and Canada for 5 years had a Black immigrate from Haiti as Governal General which is the highest position in Canada and the Canadians didn’t care because she was selected on merit not birth place or…
The shitty constitution needs to be revised thoroughly. It was tailored by Ka Shorty to eliminate competition.Insecure politicians are the root cause of this kind of dilemma. We need to move past mediocrity and let the best be in control. See how great deeds the “Kenyan” has done for the American economy and welfare in General.
Tread with care! I am yet to see a white man or Indian (forgive my bluntness) in Zambia living in shanty compounds. Is it that they are all intelligent and naturally gifted. Some like Dr. Scott could be blackhearted, but most have racist tendencies. With their money, we could find ourselves enslaved again.
I entirely agree with you. Malaysia has the same parentage clause…..and that parantage clause is even applied for scholraships for higher education. If we are not careful, we will end up disempowering our own indigenous people. If you go to China, India and German, etc you cannot expect to be an MP.
In fact, in Germany, there are many people of Turkish origin born in German who cannot even vote simply because their parents come from Turkey!!
Germany is in Europe so why would you expect Zambia to protect is nationals against migrants? Jack Mwiimbu is just naive!!
Tread with care! I am yet to see a white man or Indian (forgive my bluntness) in Zambia living in shanty compounds. Is it that they are all intelligent and naturally gifted. Some like Dr. Scott could be blackhearted, but most have r.a.c.i.s.t tendencies. With their money, we could find ourselves enslaved again.
So its ok to have no Zesco, a useless Currency, high food prices, are we already enslaved????
why do we have shanty compounds? in 51 years why has our great government not up lifted us? ok i forgot we are free………………
To avoid being hijacked I would leave it the way it is. Can a Briton born of zambian parents become PM in the UK.
Yes. A Briton born of Zambian parents can become PM as long as they are an MP. Any British citizen can become PM regardless of parentage – in fact, any Zambian or any other Commonwealth citizen (that is 52 countries) can theoretically become PM of the UK. There is no restriction on nationality beyond the Commonwealth
Interesting to note that the father of the current president of the USA was a Kenyan senior governmental economist So the USA do not consider such a restriction is necessary on parentage.
Dont be naive and silly!! USA has strong state institutions that would not allow plunder. In zambia, a president has so much power that overides state institutions and even directly appoints all seniors officials to those institutions….
The Kenyan here has brought tremendous growth to the American Economy and has raised the standard of life from the time of George Bush.
You Zambians are so insecure and yet you gave your mines to the crafty Indians and Chinese. Do away with your tribal-color mentality when it comes to selecting leaders. Also do way with mediocrity, you need to do away with that shitty crap constitution of yours, it’s not doing you any good.
So Scott is saying he should qualify, under 1991 clause, as he was born in Zambia. I think that is the correct way it should be. RB should also have qualified because even though he was born in Zimbabwe, he was Zambian by descent. The President should be Zambian, it’s simple. Even with the USA, simply birth is enough (or even born outside the country as long as one parent has citizenship at the time of birth)
Parentage clause was introduced by FTJ to unfairly ban KK from participating in elections.
All things work for the good for those that love the Lord. The parental close has served and saved Zambia. I indeed stop here. Those that do not see this are the ones that sell themselves.
I ‘ve never heard of any Zambian anywhere in the world who is a president in that country. I leave in Aussie and to see a Zambia ascending to PM position is wishful thinking. Its like voting for mulyokela as republican president next year. Let’s be talking about progressive clauses than worrying about patels Scott’s desais etc. This is Zambia not USA
if you live in Aussie you will know that the past 2 prime ministers Abbott and Gilard were not born in Australia or their parents. in Canada the former Goveral General, highest position a Cdn can be was a black woman immigrate from Haiti who became a naturalized Cdn. there is a black born Zambian cabinet minister in Toronto as well. we may not have a Zambian as president or PM outside Zambia yet but you could try in Australia!!!!
Zambia would have been better by now if we had allowed Scott to finish Sata’s term than Lungu who has taken us back to IMF days. Remove the parental clause. Thanks.
These re laws which were put in place to fix and prevent others from aspiring for presidency. The clause is very retrogressive and indeed discriminatory. I hope this clause will be changed, actually Scot almost used it to fix EL during their wrangles. But alas he is right it must be changed, we cannot restrict ourselves to the like of Chama and EL. But just imagine Mwenye taking over as president in Zambia!
Dr. Guy Scott wants the parental clause to be removed from the constitution? Interesting. Why now? Scott was part and parcel of the Chiluba regime that schemed to bar KK from contesting elections in 1996 and amended the constitution accordingly, so what has changed now?
A man is judged by his level of consistency, they say. So bwana Scott, don’t expect rules to change when and if only they suit you. Kindly note, I am not a racist, but let’s be objective and sincere with ourselves in all that we do. All the best my Guy!!
Year: 2050
Month: July
Day: 23
‘This is the United Zambia Broadcasting services. The news read by Nicola Chavez. President Li Peng has left Lusaka for a State visit to China today. He was seen off at Kenneth Kaunda International airport by the vice President Julias Mgomezulu and senior government and security chiefs. The President said that Zambia has achieved the Millennium Goals and his government is still committed to defeating poverty among the Zambian people. President Peng, whose father was a Chinese national who worked on the mines in the early 2000s, is visiting China for the first time since he was born in Kallulushi in 2010.
Meanwhile, the Zambia defence force chief, Lt Gen Garry Sykes has called on security men to be non-partisan.’
Chilyata so you are saying that a Zambian President whose parents were not born in Zambia is more likely to plunder (as you call it) than a president whose parents were born in Zambia? I do not see on what basis you come to this conclusion.