Four Civil Society Organisations participating at the ongoing National Dialogue on Constitutional, electoral, public order, and political parties Bills have announced the formation of the Coalitionnal Reform and Education Coalition.
In an announcement at the media briefing this morning at MISA House, Media Institute for Southern Africa Zambia Chapter, Hyde Haguta, says the Coalition is a Civil Society-driven movement whose core aim is to purely protect the content as agreed by stakeholders from this National Dialogue Forum.
The coalition has hailed the the Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ), some Members of Parliament and Civil Society Organisations who had initially indicated they would not participate in the Forum but later changed thie minds by joining the historical law-reform and law-making process.
“In a democracy as we have known, rigidity of the mind has no place but we must all open ourselves up to debate even against those who share divergent views against us,” said Mr. Haguta and further observed the free, objective and passionate debate among all members of the Forum in the spirit of republicanism, motherland as stakeholders openly agreed or disagreed on various issues.
“Ministers have differed among themselves on various contentious clauses in the Bills or Siavonga resolution. We have disagreed among ourselves as CSOs who are participating in the Forum. The Honorable Members of Parliament have differed among themselves, just as we have seen representatives of Government Ministries and other statutory bodies differ among themselves. The political parties have also not been spared from having divergent views among themselves,” said Mr. Haguta.
Mr. Haguta said the differences reflect a spirit of democracy which Zambia has embraced where people must be allowed to hold and express divergence views and if anyone decided to stop this process because people are expressing divergent views, then that would amount to killing the very foundation of Zambia’s nascent democracy. Mr. Haguta said CSOs are not prepared to kill our democracy.
Mr. Haguta has since said the Coalition will caucus to arrive at consensus on the issues they shall advance and support at the Forum. The Coalition has said there is no inbuilt majority at the National Dialogue Forum and the members must thus arrive at final provisions based on the give-and-take attitude. Mr. Haguta says what is going on at the Forum is a clear indication that the interest of Zambians is being protected and secured by everyone and our democracy is maturing.
“In fact, there is currently no in-built majority at the National Dialogue Forum for us to say that matters must be resolved by way of voting to pass the Bills. We ask all members of the Forum to seek consensus in a fashion of give-and-take on what must find itself into the Final Bills,” said Haguta.
The Coalition comprises of the Media Institute for Southern Africa – Zambia Chapter, Southern Africa Centre for Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD), Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and Chrizzina Democracy University (CDU). More members of the like-minded CSOs may be joining the Coalition.
Rubbish, another sexx party.
Rubbish comment from UPND cadre. So indoctrinated by Haluza Hakende
Hmmm how do these fellas know there is no inbuilt majority at the NDF, they are very naive to think PF will allow them to determine the outcome of the final document when it is all PF controlled.
That’s the way to go. Ensure PF don’t manipulate the process.
I call this progress. Well done. Let objectivity prevail and do it for Zambia and not GIZ
UPND cadre! U need appreciate diversity and freedom of expression. Zambia begins new page with progressive thinking among CSOs and not that UPND funded CiSCA. Mambo fine of 20000 was paid by HH
NGOs in Zambia stopped being patriotic to national causes but are patriotic to pockets of those funding em. Case of the Laura Mitis and company who stayed away waiting for failure so they could begin cashing in from Embassies
Haguta at least u different breed of Tonga than HH and company. For HH, he opposes anything so long it comes from Govt. Walk tall Haguta
Why did Zambia end up having people like you?
Iam equally suprised to learn that level headed dudes can be found among the Tongaz. My respect for these gallant people is slowly coming back. Not all behave like Mac Mapenzi. Looks like the fairly story of Hakainde is coming to an end and Zambians will live happily together again.
Chipenzi isn’t at Dialogu coz HH is not at dialogue, no free conscience.
Feel for Haguta coz Hakainde and those Tongs in including ka Laura will now eat him alive. Any1 not supporting Hakainde is PF
You are a low life creature whose place is the forest.
Act responsibly some of us want the one Zambia one nation we started in 1964,stop harassing innocent possible we can not all be the same different opinions should be tolerated democracy means Botting with free will.
Pro Pf poverty stricken NGOs. They swallow anything close to the mouth. Wait for the public reaction after you are done with those illegai meetings.