The opposition UPND has again instructed its Members of Parliament to vote against the controversial Bill 10 today.
The UPND has since described the ruling PF as the most undemocratic party with regards to constitutional making processes.
Leader of the Opposition and UPND Legal affairs Chairman Jack Mwiimbu told a media briefing that it was folly for the PF to accuse the UPND of being undemocratic for wanting to defeat the passing of the draconian constitutional amendment Bill 10.
Mr Mwiimbu said the PF in opposition had always walked out of the constitutional making process and had even gone further to expel 23 of its MPs for supporting the constitutional amendment process, a sign that the party has no respect for divergent internal views.
Mr Mwiimbu who is also Monze Central Member of Parliament said the UPND shall stand with the people of Zambia who have said no to the enactment of the Bill into law and demand for its immediate withdrawal from the floor of the House.
He said the party has drawn its three-line whip in accordance with parliamentary etiquettes and expects all its Members of Parliament to toe that line and vote against the Bill.
Flanked by Kabompo MP and Deputy Parliamentary Party Whip Ambrose Lufuma, Sesheke MP, Romeo Kangombe, Luampa MP Chikote Makozo, and Mitete MP Misheck Mutelo, Mr Mwiimbu said the three-line whip has been drawn in the sand and whoever crosses it is an enemy of the party and the public.
He has since advised Justice Minister Given Lubinda to immediately withdraw the Bill from the House as it lacks the requisite parliamentary and public support.
Mr. Mwiimbu further advised Mr. Lubinda and the PF to desist from cheating the Zambians that the government would move a motion to amend the Bill, saying any amendments to the current Bill can only be done at Committee Stage after the second reading in accordance with parliamentary procedures.
He said it was the UPND’s strong belief that the Bill will not pass the second reading in its current form.
“We don’t trust the Patriotic Front and we shall never trust the Patriotic Front because they are not trustworthy. In 2011, the PF walked out of the House during the Constitutional making process. We applauded them because we understood that they were exercising their democratic right to do so then. The PF is also on record to have expelled 23 of its serving MPs for supporting the constitutional amendment process. Why should they today want to demonize UPND MPs for exercising their right not to support the constitutional process? We know that any PF MP that would vote against the Bill will face disciplinary measures. This party is very undemocratic. But that is not our concern. Our concerns are the Zambian people and we as the UPND would like to assure them that we have their best interest at heart”, he added.
Yesterday, a consortium of civil society organisations called on all Members of Parliament not to shun the process when the Constitution Amendment Bill number of 10 is presented to parliament for the second reading tomorrow.
Speaking at a joint press briefing of Civil Society Organisations on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill 10 hosted by Misa Zambia in Lusaka yesterday, SACCORD Executive Director Boniface Cheembe called on MPs to fully participate in discussing and amending the bill.
Mr Cheembe said all MPs should be in parliament tomorrow when the bill is tabled until it is refined instead of walking away from the house.
He stated that those opting to walk away must remember that they will be denying the voice of those voters who elected them to be in parliament in order to make laws on their behalf.
He noted that MPs should be mindful that the constitution is for all the 17 million Zambians who are represented by the 167 MPs.
“As CSOs, we therefore call on our Members of Parliament (MPs) to recognize that they are legitimate representatives of the 17 million Zambians when it comes to altering our constitution. Our MPs must discharge this onerous but noble duty by participating in debating Bill 10 and cleaning it up to represent the views of the people who elected them to come and make laws from our Parliament,” Mr Cheembe stated.
He explained that the constitution which MPs will be debating is not for any particular party, CSO or individuals but an embodiment of the aspirations of all the people of Zambia regardless of tribe, ethnicity and political affiliation.
The Civil Society Organisations have since praised the decision by Cabinet to move proposals to amend the bill so that the final product can reflect the views submitted by those in support by those in support and against certain provisions of the bill.
Mr Cheembe noted that the civil society are aware that the Minister of Justice has today filed a notice of proposed amendments with the National Assembly which he said is commendable as it reflects that government is prepared to follow up on what they promised to amend the Bill at the Committee of the whole house.
He stressed that civil societies passionately wants to see the constitution which will increase the period of hearing a presidential petition from 14 to 30 days as proposed and wants the provisions that will allow women, youths and persons with disabilities to be represented in Parliament and councils among other clauses.
The Joint Press Briefing was held by SACCORD, MISA, Zambian Institute of Governance and Civil Liberties Advocacy Platform, National Youth Anti-Corruption Movement, Young African Leaders Initiative, Common Grounds Network and Constitutional Reform and Education Coalition.
Tribalism affected these guys.Sad that even the luyis have always drink stinky tribalism mastered by UPND.
He stressed that civil societies passionately wants to see the constitution which will increase the period of hearing a presidential petition from 14 to 30 days as proposed and wants the provisions that will allow women, youths and persons with disabilities to be represented in Parliament and councils among other clauses.
ARE THESE THE ONLY CLAUSES IN BILL 10 BA CHEEMBE? why not talk about bill 10 in its entirety .
Mr P -Very retarded and shallow comment. The issues of Bill 10 do not know tribe. Can you not either support the bill or oppose it without bringing in tribe? And why is it not tribal for those who support the bill? Have some shame. We will not all always agree but let us disagree on principle and not on hate.
Mwiimbu, don’t waste time. Just go to Parliament, argue and debate persuasively, you may just make it. Your policy is of flight from parliamentary debate abandon it. Say”no” to Hakiinde and his payroll.
These guys are no good for the nation, they don’t cooperate on anything… let them after all it’s them who’ll cry the loudest!!!
PF is haunted by its past: when it was opposition they boycotted parliamentary constitution processes which were more genuine and transparent than their crooked and faulty ones, they expelled their MPs, they introduced fake news, just name any bad and unZambian vices that we are seeing today, PF has a thick finger in it. Lelo ati oposition is no good? You cooked the food so eat it!
Not that I have any kindness for trible UPND after refusing to apologise for 2006. Third Force please come and save us!
@junior jj the only third force around are pf reincarnates.
Is is it boycotting just for the sake of it??
What is wrong with Bill-10, Jack tell us the contents in Bill-10 which are wrong, don’t just say Bill-10 is wrong be straight and come out open and point at what is wrong than just yapping.You successeded on Referendum but on this one I don’t think so. We are not interested in crictising just for the sake gaining political mileage.
To them anything that pf introduces or suggests should beshut down and criticised. They can’t offer any alternative solutions all their dull heads know is to cry and criticise and throw their toys in the air. They then wonder why they keep losing elections. Zambian know they can’t trust babies. Kz
Criticism of Bill 10 has not just come from the UPND. There have been other sectors of society (some of them respected legal experts) that have articulated their opposition to it only that the PF quickly brands them as UPND surrogates. Why has this become priority number one for PF? Since when did PF prioritize constitutional matters – after all they decided to ignore the ruling of the Con – court over the ministers paying back the money?Given the PF record and how they have gone about this, can you honestly blame those that are suspicious.?
Thank you honourable Mwiimbu for taking an honourable stand.
To trust pf is to fail to learn from history. As for pf we bembas have a saying:
“mukulolokesha, emukutobolwa”. Dont force things please.
Bill 10 is born out of greed, corruption, selfishness, fear of losing power. No matter how much pf try to hide it, we see through them.
We are tired of cadres and thugs who know nothing running around brandishing guns, machetes and other weapons and at the same time walking the corridors of statehouse rubbing shoulders with the president. pf and bill 10 fall together.
since ni since – Where have you been? You are asking for the contents today? These contents have been published and reasons for why each of the contentious clauses should not have been there in the first place stated. Learn to read so that you are not left behind.
You may have clean & good wine, but if you put it in a dirty container, what happens? How was this process started? were we not told that the gathering was meant to be for conciliation? How did this turn into a constitution review committee? what was the composition of this same committee? In short, the was no transparency from the start. I expect politicians from both ruling and opposition to be truthful. they have both been doing hide & seek on this matter
….and the Siavonga meeting which upnd was part of???
Trust issues
Nothing has changed from the Upndead’s perspective. They are so sterile. So impotent.
You can’t say you are not undemocratic as regards to constitutional making processes when as upndead you again instruct your MPs to vote against the Bill 10 today.
Likewise, you do instruct electorates not to vote against h² in SP with threats.
That said, democracy has its shortcomings too.
The bill might pull through or fall short. That’s democracy. Let’s do this.
When we ask, why is PF rushing for bill 10 ?
They say we are not rushing , we have had 3 years consultations….
well, this is a constitutional change, the breathing lungus of zambia. Not to be taken lightly.
For changes and twicks Even 3 years is not enough…..
especially when we have a crooked lawyer in statehouse trying to push changes to the constitution….
Bill 10 is a dangerous virus worse than Co-Vid 19.
MP’s must protect themselves by walking out of parliament at second reading.
If you catch the Bill 10 virus you will go mad.
Let’s do a referendum and see how many people in Zambia are willing to have their constitution changed. This way people would have had a say on the amendment of the constitution. In doing a referendum govt and other stakeholders will have no choice but to educate the public on why the constitution needs to be changed and on why not to change it. We have money for doing by-elections yet govt can’t at least accord the people of Zambia Express themselves through a referendum on whether the constitution should be changed or not. NDF was just a backdoor for PF trying to force through what they couldn’t accomplish in the 2016 referendum in terms of changes to the constitution.
Dony be embarrassed in parliament ba PF and just withdraw the bill or just introduce the amendments that all parties have agreed upon.
This was expected as the entire process was steeped in treachery. The PF refused to have credible arbiters in the Commonwealth when we all knew that there was no local capacity bcoz of the tensions after the 2016 elections. PF chose to hide under the “sovereignity” cloak. Then dubious one man parties were assembled to attend the NDF hoping to hoodwink Zambians. We are supposed to be a Christian nation so remember what the wise king Solomon said “If you sow injustice, you reap calamity”. Stop misusing the meaning of the word “patriotism”.
If you mean well, withdraw bill 10, incorporate the recommendations and get stakeholders’ consensus and present a new bill. In 2011, PF campaigned that they will kick-start Constitution review within 90 days of assuming power. What happened ?. Late MCS started insulting those calling for a ” pipo driven Constitution” by asking weather wat we had was an “animal driven Constitution”..!!! Not every Zambian has 4gotten that. Why Shud we trust PF now ? Truth is politicians have owaz taken us for fools. I definitely support the walk out so that we can hopefully later have a proper pipo driven Constitution under whatever govt will have the political will in the near future. I don’t want my views to be represented by paid surrogates.
Parliament must also be closed due to Coranavirus which is in bill 10