Government has said that it is opposed to the constitutional requirement that gives Parliament authority to approve contraction of all public debt.
Chief government spokesperson Dora Siliya said that this constitutional requirement is one of the lacunas in Republican Constitution that needs to be rectified.
Ms Siliya said that allowing Parliament to be approving the acquisition of loans and debt by government only dilutes the separation of powers.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka Ms. Siliya wondered how Parliament, which is supposed to play an oversight role on government, should take up the functions of the Executive.
We need parliamentary oversight to stop the unbridled and insatiable appetite of Edgar and his PF for corruption. There is too much thieving among Ministers.
Am not sure how even the most staunch PF bloggers can justify what Dora is saying. I don’t even have to show why this is so ridiculous, and backward and shows how irresponsible and corrupt PF has become under His Excellence President Lungu. Posterity will judge this lot very harshly. More frightening is that God will judge them very harshly if they do not repent
She is RIGHT, who is parliament anyway
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Every time Dora opens her mouth i get more and more embarrassed. This is beyond embarrassing. If our Parliament does not approve these loans you’re getting, other parliaments in Africa will debate how useless we are like what we saw in South Africa recently.
Yes Dora right…
Permanent Secretaries need deal more with loans.
Thieving being justified at its best. How will this country survey with this PF – MD infused leadership. Sad for my beloved country.
We need parliament to approve you are careless and corrupt.
Pay back the 4 million pounds to the UK which you have misappropriated
OM-effing-G! This is not even happening. She did not just that, did she?
Damnnnnn!!!!! She just did!!!!!! And guess what? Parliament which is majority PF will support that amendment to the constitution!
IT SHOWS HOW COMFORTABLE YOU ARE WITH THE CURRENT LAW…THATS THE MORE REASON WHY WE HAVE TO GIVE PARLIAMENT SOME POWERS…..
The doctrine of Separation of Powers does not mean a rigid separation whereby the organs of the State must have nothing to do with each other. And in a system like ours in which Cabinet is drawn from Parliament (although not accountable to it in strict sense) the doctrine of Separation of Powers is almost merely philosophical. In any case, there is an important corollary to to the doctrine of Separation of Powers known as Checks & Balances. These Checks & Balances insure that no organ of the State abuses its powers. So, whereas the Executive may have the power to acquire a debt, Parliament must ensure that such power is correctly exercised. The Executive cannot say it knows best & Parliament should stop being nosy. Parliament is there to ensure the excesses in the exercise of Executive…
Of course we need the MPs approval in contracting those loans as they represent our voice in that House. That’s what constitutes clean governance. As long as Cabinet continues contracting those loans without parliamentary approval there’s always something they are hiding
The confusion begins and ends with Members of Parliament playing dual roles of being Legislators as well as Executive members(Ministers).Until this confusion is addressed as is the case in America,any successive ruling party(from UNIP to muyaya) in Zambia will keep that archaic constitution which the Britain Crown gave you.
Just resign as government so that people can elect one that will uphold the Constitution. It could not be simpler than that.
Its a tough one….Dora has no choice but to speak for the executive.
Giving this to politicians to decide will make the whole decision purely political and biased towards the party with majority….
kaya mwandi
I thought Dora was smarter than this. Why all this fear? If Dora and co are working in the best interest of the country, let them allow us to decide what we need through our parliamentarians.
Parliaments appropriate funds, why can’t they approve borrowing of the funds it appropriate?
when they didnt know how to steal they made good laws. Alas , they are now doctoring , tearing the law to suit their new appetite for money. Next they will amend the penal code to remove theft and corruption. Watch the space.
Guys for the first time Dora is right. You tell me how Lungu will borrow to steal if he has to go through parliament which has to debate appropriation. That will be slowing the stealing process. Why do you want to delay Lungu from building more mansions abroad?
Iwe chi Pinto read the article!!!!!!!!! you are alalysing in the opposit direction of the article….
Tell that the UK that just froze aid to Zambia due to Dora and Lungu. UK freezing aid to a country because of Dora and Lungu. Not HH or Kambwili or GBM, but Lungu and Dora Siliya. Hey Sharon and Kudos, you deserves kudos, job well done.
Smart Dora you wouldn’t want parliamentary approval for your dubious deals now would you.
It will NEVER be president EVER! Hazaluza Hagain because he is a THREE MANSION! He loves sacrifices.
Smart woman and intelligent leader! Tribal Horganisation is jealousy!
Jealousy of thieving for sure.
Oh dear, I thought this lady had a little IQ above 20, I was wrong. Can she even read what she has said to see if it makes any sense even to her own ‘chikopo’ self? Dumbness knows no bounds when you are a PF minion. She is talking ‘oversight’ but at the same time refusing that parliament provides the very same oversight.
Public debt is not a PF money issue, it’s a Zambian debt that will linger beyond the PF expiry date for generations to come. You don’t want an organ representing the people to have a say in the their own debt? What kind of thinking is this? Unbelievable! You want to accumulate 100 trillion dollars of debt today and then be booted out of power tomorrow, leaving that debt with Zambians to pay. Man I feel like smacking her face to pump some common sense in her skull.