President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has this morning officially opened the National dialogue that is taking place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
The President has called for utmost seriousness from the participants who are all representing the Zambian People stating that it is a big responsibility that should be undertaken diligently for the good of the Citizens.
He stated that the dialogue on the draft constitution was a quality assurance validation forum which would provide input or clarifications on the earlier submissions which have been made over the months in order to refine the constitution and governance related legislation such as the Public Order act, the Electoral Process Act and the Political Parties Bill.
He stated that the constitution amendment process had been long and thorough beginning with approval of a private members motion in Parliament which urged government to amend the constitution, Cap 1 of the laws of Zambia, in order to address inconsistencies.
He stated that following the approval, government called for submissions from stakeholders such as the Civil Society Organisations, Government Institutions such as the Judiciary and Commissions, Statutory bodies, Professional bodies and individuals.
He added that the Ministry of justice then collected the submissions after which a zero draft constitution of Zambia (Amendment) bill was prepared and further subjected to more scrutiny by various institutions which included the Judiciary, the National Assembly, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice, the National Prosecution Authority, the Legal Aide , the Office of the President and other relevant line Ministries. And in line with the constitutional requirements, the bill was approved by cabinet for introduction in Parliament for possible ammendment.
The President however stated that in 2018 government was requested to defer the Publication of the bill by the Zambia Centre for Inter Party dialogue to enable Political Parties and the church mother bodies to finalize the dialogue process which had commenced. And government which has the mandate to discharge Executive functions proceeded to approve a roadmap to consider the constitution (Amendment) bill, 2019 at a national validation meeting for all Stakeholders. An action which followed discussions between the church and the Zambia Centre for Interparty dialogue on the focus areas of the national dialogue, and the platform for the dialogue process.
“At this meeting stakeholders who included some of you delegates made submissions on the draft constitution and governance related legislation. This forum has therefore been constituted to validate the draft constitution before it can be introduced in Parliament. ” he said.
The President took time to reiterated governments commitment to the constitution ammendment process as well as to continuous dialogue among all Zambians.
Another waste of public resources, this is at a time when salaries havent been paid.
Just close the National Assembly we call Parliament.
PF has formed their own now.
Story has changed again from “dialogue” to ” draft constitution”?
Do Ba Edgar know anything about leadership?
Why did he sign the “wrong’ constitution in a poorly attended stadium?
Let’s do this thing.
Let’s roll, thanks.
Very important exercise and we should start with repealing the archaic colonialist Public Order Act instituted by the British before independence to divide and conquer us.
This draconian law has survived all subsequent administrations from my UNIP to this day. In its place we need to make sure we have the world’s best Bill of Rights drafted accompanied by a great Penal and Criminal Code … we don’t need to reinvent the wheel there.
The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise have some of the smartest legal minds this world has ever produced and it’s time we put that talent pool to work once and for all.
Of crucial importance should be the time limits imposed on this exercise while making sure we don’t have budget overruns especially that cash is a scarce resource with backlog…
Continued…
Of crucial importance should be the time limits imposed on this exercise while making sure we don’t have budget overruns especially that cash is a scarce resource with backlog salaries pending.
The United States have had 27 amendments to their constitution, its time we take our first few amendments seriously. God speed!!!
Most of the amendments can be accented to before the next election so that all sole losers leave us alone to focus on national development. It’s borrowed time for most of it.
We are in a hurry to develop this beautiful thing called Zambia the Beautiful!!!
Let’s roll … epo mpelele,
BRM
PF know how to attract these hungry mouths like Tayali & Co. just include an attendance allowance and they will come running in a suit.
Repeal the acts providing for the establishment of RATSA, WARMA and ERB. They are merely increasing the cost of living in Zambia
FUUZ GATHERED TO BUTCHER AND ASSAULT OUR CONSTITUTION. THIS KA FUU WAS EXCITED AT HEROES STADIUM SIGNING A NEW CONSTITUTION AND NOW HE KNOWS HE CAN NOT WIN 50%+1, SO POWER FOR GREEDY HAS GONE TO HIS HEAD AND WANT TO CHANGE CRITICAL CLAUSES IN THE CONSTITUTION. HE WANTS TO APPOINT AND FIRE HIS VICE AT WILL. ZAMBIANS U ARE STUPID. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO ELIMINATE THESE THUGS
ECL is a head of PF buffoons. Rot in hell you enemies of Zambia. You have done so much damage to the economy, treasury and social setup that it will take decades to recover from the same. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, I refuse to forgive you. What poor children are suffering under buffoon’s monkey business, so shall your children shall suffer, so shall you suffer till you die and go to hell.
I was at the ceremony and repeat what I said earlier:-
ECL is a head of PF buffoons. Rot in hell you enemies of Zambia. You have done so much damage to the economy, treasury and social setup that it will take decades to recover from the same. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, I refuse to forgive you. What poor children are suffering under buffoon’s monkey business, so shall your children shall suffer, so shall you suffer till you die and go to hell.
Joker in chief doing what he knows best – avoiding press conferences and wasting money
He has a press aid Amos. If you need a press conference Amos does that almost every fortnightly.
@2.1 OVAL HEAD
Period.
Sense iwe!
Just look at who is commending @Oval Head..really laughable ..I mean is Amos the one Zambians voted for…LAZY LUNGU has never held one since he got elected..anyway Oval is thick as asphalt ..this is a dull chap who dont know the difference between Hectares and Acres? What are you doing in Oz my friend?
I don’t blame you two, your reasoning is the mirror image of the joke in Statehouse. A press conference is when the president courts the press, talks about the economy and receives questions from the press. What you two dunderheads are talking about are press statements, two very different things. Ok being a PF supporter and insisting on displaying how dull you are lyonse is just sad mwe.
Oval head and dude love are so not independent of there thought process that even a presidential furt is a sweet perfume smell.
What is wrong with us Africans ???
Just look at the kinks in the sign behind lungu, the whole cabinet standing in front of a shoddily put up sign ??
Even a secondary school would have had better presentation
@Spaka
Thought of the same same thing….even simple signage….road signs etc….and we have Universities….Engineers…Architects…..Designers etc
They know nothing about presentation …am sure some caught a big contract for that nonsense
Focus on the ECONOMY and managing the scarce resources. These activities are just not a priority at all, especially over other things you, Mr. President, should be focused on resolving.
Somebody educate me please. Don’t these guys need the opposition to pass the same amendments to the constitution in parliament?
thats wat puzzles me all this can come to nothing with the stroke of the pen in parliament
Given lubinda clarified that issue thoroughly well. The problem is you you’re too lazy to read. This conference has more representatives from opposition than ruling govt. Just search for the sunday interview were lubinda explained the composition and you will appreciate. Stop misleading yourselves with ignorance.
This only means these guys have set aside a bundle of money to buy opposition MPs
Upend is not the only opposition party out there.
Tayali and other tins with registered parties have come as opposition!!
@oval head and others, Lubinda clarified the issue of participation in the NDF. Yes so many PF surrogates will be there but what he forgets is that they need UPND MPs on their side to amend the constituition. If that can’t sink into your head then just know you are wasting government money for nothing on the infamous NDF. Napwisha
And I quote… “At this meeting stakeholders who included some of you delegates made submissions on the draft constitution and governance related legislation. This forum has therefore been constituted to validate the draft constitution before it can be introduced in Parliament. ” he said
So after this 2 Million Kwacha is wasted in the next 10 days, the outcome will then go to Parliament where the parliamentarians will arrogantly vote along partisan lines and run the final document by plot 1 for final assent of the document into Law!! Anyone else seeing what I’m seeing?? CIRCUS CIRCUS CIRCUS
If all has to be decided by Monkey President, why to waste billions in such useless gatherings?
Fire the whole government, let there be Army rule and fresh elections under International observers and under supervision of the UN.
Please publish the opening remarks by the Chairman of the so-called National Dialogue Forum,Prof. MWANALUSHI. It was very inspiring unlike the opening speech by ECL ,which is just an effort to justify the legality of the forum.Sadly people like Prof. Mwanalushi are just being abused by the PF to give credibility to a flawed and criminal undertaking whose outcome is predetermined. The person who decided the agenda of the meeting and drew up the list of the delegates, who are predominantly PF or pro-PF, has already decided it`s outcome.This is political intrigue and deception of the highest order for which Lubinda will soon be called to account.
Moronic gathering and a total waste of public resources by a cliche of rubber rousers rubber stamping a predetemined outcome, what a sham.
This should have been an economic gathering trying to find solutions that have befallen us, rising debt, worst perfoming bonds in the world , depreciating reserves and the ever falling kwacha and not this nonsense. Spending our little resources on political expedience and encobrancedces.
but they need 2/3 majority of the vote in parliament to pass that bill. i doubt if PF has that number
They have failed to find money for workers salaries but they will find money to buy opposition MPs to reach 2/3
And tribalists want us to help them get hacks into power with their insulting language demonstrated on this blog! Certainly not with my vote!
Is that you cader ???
OH.. THIS PRESIDENT IS VERY INSPIRING. AT LONG LAST WE HAVE A PROCESS THAT WILL GIVE US HOPE FOR A BETTER CONSTITUTION. THIS IS WHAT WE NEEDED.
Who signed off the last draft constitution when people like Gen. Miyanda were telling him to exercise caution…some of you would ignorantly thank your friend who runs a brothel for employing them in there as waitresses thinking its an exclusive restaurant
for employing your daughters
UPND don’t sit with snacks you will be hammered stay away please I beg in the name God.
Its true things are not as we want them to be but the interesting thing is this same ECL being insulted everyday helped to have a president voted for the majority, running mate to avoid presidential bye elections and 14 before swearing in. Is he a perfect man not at all just like all of us. Even political parties who rubbished these items used these pieces of legislation during and after elections. The truth is if this conference comes out with a good public order act the number one to use it probably will be those who are insulting this man now.
I meant a president voted by the majority.
If President Lungu had not assented to this current constitution we wouldn’t know that it has this flaws. He actually just gave the people what they submitted as rules to be governed by. A number of us didn’t like Winter when he packed this same constitution in his drawers. We felt betrayed when Sata asked us if what we had was an animal driven constitution. Today we are freely insulting the man who gave us what we insulted others for when they refused to give us the same thing. Do we really know what we want. Development is step by step. Unip did their part, mmd did their part, pf is also doing their part, it will soon be upnd’s or ndc’s or fdd’s turn to do their part. As humans they will also do their part to move this country forward.
Post UNIP era ECL is the only president who has shown commitment to give Zambians a constitutional they want. Surprisingly we will later discover that this man will have established a strong legal foundation for development of this country after he has gone.
At least clever UPND mps are in attendance defying the evil privatisation crook who has hidden the privatisation loot in the paradise papers… They have realised that the sadist Supreme leader HH of the UPND was leading them into the ditch
Lungu sold cold storage board of Zambia to foringners who stripped all the equipment and shipped it out of the country devastating whole communities in Lusaka, he drank all the proceeds….
Thank you @ AK ….
I have like your comments. Some comments above are full of INSULTS especially from UPND stooges.
UPND supporters are full of bitterness and hatred.
This Chagwa is a joke and waste of time and resources! Hope he realizes now that you don’t sign important national documents with eyes closed! Remember how he was bragging that he would sign the document with eyes closed? Did he show seriousness then? Absolutely no seriousness in everything! Humbleness must both in action and deed! Anything short of that is corruption! The Kwacha and the Economy are in the toilet! A wise leader will not be wasting time talking about the constitution when people’s livelihoods are at stake! Why not call for a National Indaba on the Economy like Levy did? Maloza!
jameson jameson at work.