THE Grand Coalition will not give up until Government gives the people of Zambia a people-driven Constitution, says coalition chairperson Father Leonard Chiti.
Fr Chiti said the ruling Patriotic Front are a selfish party and were not in support of the new Constitution because they were not comfortable with some clauses included in it.
He was reacting to the passage in Parliament of the Constitution of Zambia and the Constitution (Amendment) Bills 2015 second reading which the Government managed to pull through the National Assembly with a comfortable majority despite a spirited counter-offensive by the opposition United Party for National Development.
In the first vote on the Constitution of Zambia Bill, 106 MPs voted in favour, 36 against and four abstained. On the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 109 MPs voted for the Bill to go for the second reading while 35, mainly from UPND, voted against and two abstained.
Fr Chiti said PF was scared of the 50 +1 clause because they knew they could not get such votes with the way people have been hit by the poor economy.
“PF should know that the Grand Coalition will not stop until we force the PF Government to give the people of Zambia a people-driven Constitution; they should know we are aware that the ruling party is not comfortable with some clauses of which the 50+1 is their biggest fear.
Fr Chiti said he would not disclose their next move but the PF should know that they have shifted their strategy to something that would be unveiled soon.
He said the MPs that voted in favour of the two Bills acted selfishly and did not consider the need and desires of the Zambian people. He added that MPs voted to satisfy their personal gains and those of the PF without considering the national interest.
He said it was disappointing for the MMD to have joined forces with the ruling party and vote favour of the bill and that it was only the UPND that considered the Zambian people.
“I will not disclose what the grand coalition will do next, but the PF and the Zambian people should know we are not letting the Zambian people suffer because of a selfish party, we have moved our strategy and it will yet be unveiled. It is very disappointing that the MMD also voted in favour of the bill when they know it was only for PF selfish gains” he said.
He said the PF will soon reach a dead end as they will lose next year’s election terribly. He added that the government should know that people have been affected badly by the economy and would not give the ruling party another chance.
He said the PF should not think they have any strongholds as citizens country wide had lost interest in them.
He said he had spoken to ordinary from Lusaka and Kitwe, who had expressed disappointment in the government vowing to vote for change.
“The Pf and it’s government should know they are heading nowhere, I spoke to ordinary people on the Copperbelt and Lusaka and they assured me PF will not have their vote, people are hit badly by the bad economy and for this the ruling party should worry for themselves” he said.
A bitter man. So its clear that you work for HH UPND as you are just ranting man.
Truth: I am also failing to understand this guy. I mean what has elections got to do with the push for a people driven constitution? Is this group a political party to is asking people whom to vote for or there are supposed to pressure the Government to give the people a new constitution? Honestly I am lost. Fr. Chiti represents how many constituencies? I thought each of the MPs in Parliament represents a constituency and these MPs are people driven? From the look of things the GC has gone into a campaign gear and not constitution mode. You are asking people whom they will vote for instead of telling them the benefit of a new constitution. What is your agenda now Fr. Chiti? You seem lost in this whole GC and constitution issue. You are campaign for PF to be voted out. Is that the mandate…
The more Chiti opens up to bitterness and belabors to to sustain a cover of his political agenda instead of civil society, the more he sounds a peddler of wacky ideas that have fast evolved into a Gothic Nightmare for his unsuspecting money shredders supporting unattainable dreams in Zambia.Elections are lost to a Ghost? Its sad that an intelligent Jesuit think-tank has turned himself into a none thinking political troll. He has become blind to the reality of many variables of election politics in Zambia which are in no way aligning with his gotcha. With less than 12 months to go until the general election, nerves and confusion seem to be frazzled in in Chiti’s political camp. Manage the challenges without falling for wacky ideas because ECL is consolidating very well while you thrive…
Viva Fr. Chiti. At least we still have men who love this country…. Not these with vague recovery programmes. Maaayo ine! Same songs we heard in Kaunda, Chiluba and Sata…… Maayoooooo. Move on. give us a constitution that we want. Finshi muletina kansi?
DUDE YOU RE SO BITTER…ANYWAY WE UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO MAKE NOISE TO EAT OTHERWISE NI POVERTY
Stupid clergyman….! Which people are u talking about…? Just say upnd supporters.! U have lost my vote..! Come 2016….my vote on pf….!
Useless chap. mps were democratically elected by Zambians to act on our behalf and just did.
Strong words from the good Fr. He mustn’t issue threats, its ungodly.
50+1 is a total waste of resources and time when voting is on tribal lines as is currently the case. The problem with most Zambians is we just want to copy and paste without serious analysis of our own prevailing conditions.
Tribal politics has become a very serious political cancer in Zambian politics.
How does one province record a 60% voter turn out purely on tribal lines, when the rest of the country the average voter turn out is 25%?
These priests have gone beserk in this country! The pope should have come to Zambia so that he prays for his bitter clergy rather than Kenya and Uganda where priests are still sober and normal! 🙁
THIS MAN Z NOT DIFFERENT FORM FATHER FRANK BWALYA KOZ WHY SHUD HE START DECAMPAIGNING THE PF ON THE COPPERBELT AND LUSAKA INSTEAD OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL?SO HH’S POCKET KNOZ NO BOUNDERIRS AND ITS TRUE THAT THIS GRAND COALITION REPRESENTS UPND.WHICH PIPO DID HE TALK TO ON THE COPPERBELT?NEVER SAW U IN CHINGOLA,MAYBE KITWE BUT REMEMBER KITWE Z NOT COPPERBELT.
I STILL CNAT UNDASTAND WHY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS NOT DISCPLINED THIS PRIEST HU HAS BECOME A SHAME TO THE CHURCH.A CLERGYMAN ISSUING THREATS AND TAKING POLITICIAL SIDES?IS THIS THE NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH?
shameless priest.
A BITTER MAN WITH NO PRINCIPLES.ISSUING THREATS.IT TELLS ALOT ABOUT DISCIPLINE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
WHAT A FATHER I THINK ***HOW MUCH DID HH PAY U.WHY NOT GIVE WAY & SEE THE WAY IT WILL BE HANDLED. ITS NOT TRUE THAT PF CAN FEAR 50 + 1 REASON IT HAS A UPPER HAND THAN ANY PARTY PA ZED WHETHER WITH ECONOMICAL CHALLENGES OR NOT. ITS NICE TO SEE MMD AND PF WORKING TOGETHER FOR UNITY & DEVELOPMENT SHOWING LOVE NOT BITTERNESS. CHITI U ARE A SELLEROUT,CORRUPT SARVIVING ON BLACKMAILING POLITICIANS. U & MMEMBE USE THE SAME FORMULAR FOR YO DAY TO DAY LIFE.MPS SHAME THIS DEVIL BY PASSING 50 + 1. DO U THINK HON HYENA & HIS ULYA PALYA NICHI DEVIL UPND CAN GET 50 + 1? NOT EVEN 20 + 1 COME 2016 ELECTIONS
The so called father should explain what is wrong with the current process. I see no problem because i=even the 50+1 he is yapping about has been included. So where is this “father” basing his arguments?
Advise to him: You cant convince anyone if you do not give facts or illustrate what you are crying about.please be specific who you are speaking for. I have taken a random survey on about 100 people from mixed backgrounds in Lusaka only and found that 80% of the people have no problem with this. So who are you speaking for fr Chiti!
chipuba
what does he want? why not just join politics instead of discrediting bu father?
So if the ruling party is scared of 50 + 1, does it mean that an opposition party can get that? Some reasoning is sound here. In any case what does 50% + 1 mean? Does it mean 50%+1% which becomes 51% or 50% + 1 vote? How will the computation be done to determine the extra one vote? You see the problem!
Sorry I meant ‘Some reasoning is not sound’
Lets wait for UPND to come and give us the true constitution. EL + RB = MMD/PF
90 day full of lies.
The opposition will always be the opposition. The will oppose anything and anyhow even when their conscious tells them otherwise. They fear when they agree with the ruling party they are conceding defeat. They will oppose even the most illogical things. It is to the opposition’s own good that the 50%+1 is not being considered because its obvious HH can never have that percentage in the coming elections. lets not just adopt things which are to no ones benefit at the end of the day. we all know having a rerun will just be draining our coffers. I commend the MMD for thier support so far.
But Father Chiti you did not talk to me and my family. We have valid Voters Cards
No party can apart from pf can pass the constitution because pf has the numbers in parley. If upnd or fdd wins then forgot about the constitution because pf mps will be shooting it down in parley
What a shame! Evil at work and Fr Chiti my brother I whole heartedly support you. What the PF are doing is evil, and evil has never deafeated what God wants for Zambia. Let those who support evil and on the side of Edga Lungu supporting this evil act, wait for God’s move. Let them think they have won. So did Pharaoh think he had won brutalising God’s chosen people. It is better to be on the right side even if it might look like you are losing! Time will tell with Edga. Whatch Mugabe, hes time is near. Whatch Dos santos, his time is near. The problem with a mortal man is his thinking is limited! he cant see further than his toes. Zambia will be redeemed. Good has always won. Who would have thought that RSA will be free? Who would have thought German would lose both world wars I & 2?…
For MMD, their doom is sealed. After next year’s election, they will be lucky to have more than 3 MPs. The rest will be shared between the two parties, PF and UPND. Let them enjoy the remainder of their time in parliament. Soon they will follow UNIP.