The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) has said that it will be unlawful for Justice Minister Given Lubinda to re-introduce Bill 10 during the next Parliamentary session.
Reacting to media reports that the Justice Minister intend to re-introduce Bill 10, CiSCA said that the act of re-introducing an expired Bill is contrary to Parliamentary Regulations, adding that Mr. Lubinda is pushing Bill 10 in his own personal interest.
Mr. Lubinda is quoted as saying that whether Bill 10 opposers like it or not, it will be deliberated upon once Parliament sittings resume and those who are jubilating that Bill 10 has died following the adjournment of Parliament are celebrating a fluke.
Below is the full statement by CiSCA
CiSCA Statement on Justice Minister Given Lubinda’s Plans to Reintroduce Bill 10 in Next Parliamentary Session
Lusaka, 24 July 2020: The Civil Society Constitution Agenda (CiSCA) calls on Justice Minister Given Lubinda to just come out and confirm what we all know: that the Patriotic Front, as usual, are determined and will do everything to abuse their power and use unlawful means to reintroduce Bill 10 during the next Parliamentary session.
A few days ago, Lubinda stated that Bill 10 will be re-tabled in Parliament during the next session. He also cast aspersions on lawmakers and other citizens who are against Bill 10.
As if his unlawful re-gazetting of an already gazetted Bill 10 in May this year was not enough, the Justice Minister wants to follow that up with another unlawful act of re-introducing an expired Bill contrary to Parliamentary Regulations. In preparing for his unlawful act he wants first to test waters by casting aspersions on the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, a personable and credible lawmaker like Hon. Jack Mwimbu who commands more public respect than he does. From their viewpoints any reasonable person can see that Hon. Mwimbu is following and quoting the letter of the Standing Orders while Mr. Lubinda has lamentably failed to do so.
Mr. Lubinda describes those of us opposed to Bill 10 as desperately wanting to remain relevant is a classical example of projecting his own desperation to have Bill 10 enacted against the supremacy of the Zambian people’s will. We challenge Mr. Lubinda to state in whose interest he is still pushing the public rejected Bill 10. We want to ask Mr. Lubinda how in his frame of mind can claim that the many civil society organisations, political parties, traditional leaders, religious groupings, artistes, youths, lawyers, trade unions, eminent constitutional lawyers and professors at law can all be irrelevant in Zambia except him and other proponents of Bill 10. As a Justice Minister, it is shameful that Mr. Lubinda is in the forefront of driving a wedge among citizens instead of listening and bringing Zambians of divergent views together, building consensus, other than being the champion of driving a wedge among us.
We wonder how a serious lawmaker guided by Parliamentary rules and regulations can make an analogy of a baby crying while its caregiver is cooking and the caregiver stopping to attend to the baby to the circumstance of Bill 10’s journey. The two are totally incomparable.
If the PF government was serious about empowering women and youth as they want us to believe, the President would not have appointed another man, with all due respect, Mr. Masiye Wilfred Banda, as Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary, hardly a week after the burial of the late Dr Chileshe Mulenga. The President squandered a golden opportunity to demonstrate his political will on empowerment of women, youth and persons living with disabilities, and now they want to hide behind Bill 10. We are not naïve. In fact, Bill 10 does not even provide for appointment of women or provision of safe seats for women, youths, people living with disability and other marginalized groups. Bill 10 only mentions that the electoral system will be changed from a first past the post to mixed member representation, and the mixed member representation will be as prescribed in subsidiary legislation.
We contend that Mr. Lubinda is pushing Bill 10 in his own personal interest. As far as we are concerned, passing Bill 10 by any means necessary is the only helpline for Lubinda to remain relevant in Zambia beyond 2021. Everyone now knows that the only purpose of Bill 10 is to perpetuate the PF’s stay in power. It has nothing to do with advancing the interests of women, youths, persons with disability, or any other citizens.
Issued by:
Judith Mulenga
CiSCA Vice Chairperson
What is Given Lubinda’a, interest in Bill 10?
I think he has been promised a post of Vice president or life Justice minister because Lubinda is very stubborn.
PF must go!
Extremely stupid story.
The deads narrative.
Certainly retrogressive carnivores.
$!11y CiSCAitis
Please cite the law you are using. Bill 10 was ruled as not dead. Stop politicising things. Rather than hide behind civil organisations just come out as a gay upnd supporter so that we engage you as politicians. Tukala twenu
Bill 10bshould be stop as was 3rd term in the 90s
What is wrong with this fool…Zambia is not Russia…This story is done. He needs to forget about the Bill 10.
The PF administration has became so complicated and confident that they can do whatever the hell they want. It’s time to go.
Parliament can only extend the life of a live bill and not an expired one.
PF are so desperate they going to the mortuary or cemetery to bring back bill 10.
Besides 2 bill 10 votes are gone.With the PF mismanaged covid-19 situation, the number of lost bill 10 votes will increase.
Any expired bill can be brought back on the floor for debate this is constitutional, what is upnd afraid of and its sympathizer is to loose .
what is wrong with bill ten can some one from upnd explain the wrongs to in bill 10 than bitting about the bush mangwamus
Ba Zayell0 just wants Bill 10 cause all these P.F parasites have many concealed cases of heinous illegal deeds festering & waiting to be processed once they are out of office, which means ChimbOkaila, Mukobeko & Mwembeshi awaits.
Lastly, P.F.KUYABEBELE!
Those who want Dead Bill 10 retabled in Parliament should cite which law provides that. If the Standing Committee is able to resurrect the Dead Bill which law will it use?The Regulations are lear and say a deferred Bill if not passed into is law during the deferred 6 Months is automatically “killed “. So how will a “killed” Bill become alive? Since the PF Govt has no respect for Constitutionalism, Rule of Law, Good Governance and Human Rights we will not be surprised if Lubinda illegally, unprocedurally and unconstitutionally retable the Bill in Future.PF is lawless. Period.
BILL 10 is the only lifeline left for this PF crime syndicate. They know prison awaits them for all their corrupt deeds. If this energy they’ve put into trying to push BILL 10 through was spent on improving the lives of Zambians, Zambia would be in better shape by now. But these PF hyenas are only interested in benefiting themselves using this evil BILL. They want to drag Zambia back into a one party State, and thus remain in power indefinitely. Prison awaits these PF criminals. As soon as they lose the election next year, we start arresting them. No one should be allowed to leave the country. Close all the borders after the 2021 election. Zambians want to take back what these PF bandits have stolen, and then throw their behinds in prison.
@Kz, hear me very well. PF’s time is past overdue.
You all have to make ready for a life outside of politics after next year, perhaps inside of jail like Richard Sakala.
We have asked God to flush PF out and it’s already a done deal.
No amount of manipulation will work, just look at how everything is working against you.
Don’t say you were not warned. It’s just a matter of time because God is a God of order.
Peace be still.
People like lubinda, Findlay, lungu, kastupidiyongo are just thugs and are raping Z cautiously.
Pf must go or zambia dies
Maybe its meant to gauge the Speaker Zambia has in the Legislature.
PF is in denial and can’t imagine going into 2021 Elections without Bill 10 law. Bill 10 is dead and the sooner the PF realises this the better. PF, instead of re-restrategising for 2021 Elections they are wasting precious time flogging a dead horse(Bill 10). PF and ECL need to re-imagine how to win 2021 Elections without Bill 10 law. If ECL is found to be ineligible they must find an alternate Presidential Candidate. In Politics things change quickly. In Malawi who knew Peter Mutharika would lose the recent Presidential Election Re-run. ECL should prepare for departure in 2021. The winds of change blowing from Malawi are very strong. The writing is on the Wall for ECL.
We won’t be surprised if Bill 10 is brought back to parliament. Why? Because this is a government anchored on lawlessness and disregard of court orders and other abuses