One of Zambia’s Internationally respected Constitutional Lawyer Professor Muna Ndulo has condemned the National Dialogue Bill which will be tabled in Parliament today.
Prof. Ndulo who is Professor of International and Comparative Law at Cornell Law School and Director Cornell University’s Institute for African Development said the proposed process will not produce a good constitution.
Prof. Ndulo observed that strengthening Zambia’s democracy will demand that constitution making be guided by the need to expand the frontiers of democracy and accountability to the people rather that to bend to the passing needs of elite power sharing, which is accelerating the fragility of African democracies.
He also observed that The Forum is so large that it will be completely unyielding to good management and is reminiscent of the 2000 Zimbabwe Constitutional Forum which had up to 400 members and failed to produce a constitution.
Prof. Ndulo predicated that there can be no meaningful discussions in such a large forum, especially one completely controlled by the Government especially that the Members of the Forum are appointed by the Secretary to the Cabinet.
“In the end whether Zambia’s long search for a democratic constitutional order will one day come to fruition will depend on leadership. Zambia needs leadership that has a big picture and has a vision to transform Zambia into an inclusive, fair and democratic state and sees the constitution as a transformative document for the achievement of those goals,” he said.
Lusaka times, is it the dialogue bill to tabled in parliament or constitution bill. Guide me with your lawyer prof.
Can the students please learned something form a distinguished professor from an Ivy League University. Given Lubinda (diploma agric) would have done good to consult experts such as Prof Ndulo when his ministry was drafting the bill.
Unfortunately in Zambia we don’t like objective analysis from intelligent learned people. And so the good professor’s advice will be labelled as partisan and himself as UPND. We prefer pseudo intellectualism such as what we see from some bloggers here who love to parade their “credentials” and demand to be heard because they have “made it” in the big league. We love such because they serve our political interests.
That is why we are where we are and will continue languishing in poverty. Until we learn to listen to objective voices.
The useless Professor has spoken again, kuwayayafwe
Ba Ndulo, Bark with no bite .. go grade a paper or something!
Lungu really wanted the user-friendly ZCID to lead the dialogue, and that’s exactly what he has achieved via the National Dialogue Bill.
What a sleazy guy we have as our leader 🙁
Fellow Zambians
With due respect to Professor Ndulo when he refers to a leadership which has a big Vision. I know he supports HH, would he be kind to describe UPND leadership as one with a big vision. Take a look at the top leadership , is it inclusive. I think he contaminates he legal advise with political loyalty of a party cadre. He should advise from a neutral legal position in future than his one sided view.
Professor Ndulo has thrown his professional prowess to the gallery and is now dancing to the tune of Upnd by being partisan rather than being a professional analyst.
This professor is dreaming. Only in heaven can you have such utopia. Here on the ground baba, we have to deal with wizards and witches, usurpers, profiteers, fraudsters, cheats and free roaders who call themselves as politcians, church and NGO leaders.
Only in a one with such a high concentration of F.OOLs can intellectualism be perceived as a dream
Only in a country with such a high concentration of F.OOLs can intellectualism be perceived as a dream
This professor is dreaming. Only in heaven can you have such utopia. Here on the ground baba, we have to deal with wizards and witches, usurpers, profiteers, fraudsters, cheats and free roaders who call themselves as politcians, church and NGO leaders.
@ Engineer (really?).Only people without points respond with insults. Am more of an intellectual than you. Come back home. You’re toxing a good country abroad.
Why is it supporters of Upnd always call other people F00ls? Are these the same people they to vote for them?