Two Civil society Organizations (CSOs) have handed over a petition containing over 14 thousand signatures on the new constitutional bill to Parliament.
Citizens Forum executive secretary Simon Kabanda and Get Involved Zambia (GIZ) executive director Fr Frank Bwalya led a sizeable crowd of people who gathered outside Parliament to present the petition with placards with messages to Members of Parliament (MPs) while a heavy presence of police kept vigil.
The two CSOs are demanding for the inclusion of the contentious clauses that include the 50 percent plus one threshold for the winning Presidential candidate, having a Presidential running mate and swearing in of the President-elect in 90 days as opposed to the current 24 hours system.
Presenting the petition Citizens Forum Executive Secretary Simon Kabanda called on all members of parliament to heed to people’s wishes.
Three MPs who include Chifubu Member of Parliament Susan Kawandami, Mwimba Malama of Mfuwe and Kanchibiya parliamentarian Davis Mwango received the petition.
And receiving the petition, Mfuwe MP Mwimba Malama assured the CSOs that their petition will be tabled before the house.
Meanwhile GIZ Executive Director Fr. Frank Bwalya said the three contentious clauses are critical to this year’s elections.
Fr. Bwalya expressed hope that MPs will respect what the people who voted them into power want.
[ QFM ]
Wastage of time with rubbish shove.
Gay fan’ Sata a liar – HH
UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) president Hakainde Hichilema has described Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata as a liar who lacks leadership qualities.
Mr Hichilema has reiterated that the two parties could not work together because of the PF’s sympathy for homosexuals.
Speaking on UNZA Radio’s ‘Lusaka Star’ programme as a caller, Mr Hichilema said Mr Sata lied when he told the radio station in an interview that there had been no correspondence since Professor Clive Chirwa suggested that the UPND leader should be the vice-president while Mr Sata should be the president of the electoral pact between their parties.
“I listened to your interview with my colleague Mr Sata, and it is this problem of not telling the truth that will not help Zambia. I listened where he said that there had been no correspondence between the PF and the UPND since Chirwa wrote his suggestion letter,” he said.
You will see and read what the MMD muppets will blog.If your party purport to be popular,why are they scared to enact a 50+1 clause??A president accumulating 39% of the votes,nowonder many people make jokes about him.The rubbish which will follow is now predictable;like, these guys are PF,father bwalya blablabla…..Shame on MMD a party which advantage of the illiteracy of villagers to steal votes.MWAPYA BA KAWALALA .
@mwata
Are you normal??or you have an injury in the head?I thought there was a seperate storry where you can comment of such rubbish?Is it because of MMD /RB that u found yourself in USA?Because a sane person who went to USA using his own means cant think like that.Grow up and be reasonable man.
@4
take advantage of the illiteracy…
@5
seperate story…
It is easier to petition a brick wall
where were these maggots when the NCC was sitting..nonsense..don’t disrupt the smooth flow of business…they are all pf cadres..
#7 True there is no democracy in Zambia we just need a new govt that will listen to people wishes, MMD is a tired govt!!!
Why is MMD afraid of 50 +1 . then why should a duly elected president fail to wait 90 days to take office. 24 hrs really leaves no chance for any one to petition the results if at all any irregularities took place. But any way all these clauses will come to haunt MMD very soon. PF will win with a slightest lead and before MMD can contest the results Sata would have already been sworn as president.
what has this got to do with us. simple majority now and the future is ok for zed. we don’t have money for re runs. this fr something is pregnant with ru.bish.
Where was PF all this time.. these people asking for petitions, are the same daffodils who have CRITICIZED the NCC.. Party with no plan.. full of flip flops.
Who is going to support at the NCC? Satas OWN MP’s were treated like dogs, and called Rebel MP’s for attending the NCC and he even went as far as expelling them from the party for attending the NCC. This is truly a “flamingo” party, we dont want mardi gras politics in Zambia.
But surely, where were these guys when the NCC was deliberating? I bet these are the guys who boycotted the NCC for reasons best known to themselves and now want to pull a fast one. I wonder what mechanism they used to make the people sign the petition (14,000), taking into account the rural areas where comprehension of national affairs like the contensious 50%+1 threshold can be quite challenging. With the support of father Bwalya, i think we all know what this means. But thats the beauty of democracy – freedom of expression. Lets see where this goes.
Why not first rebuke Mr Sata for removing the 50%+1 when it siuted him? He thought his paymaster , Kafupi will reward him now he is languishing……..
Why give audience to these protesters and treat them with respect when we in Barotseland ask to be heard and allowed a referendum to decide whether or not to be part of zambia we get tear gassed,beaten and jailed?Its our damn land give us respect .We decide and not some illiterates from eastern who don’t know us or our history.
#10 Mulungushi Traveller,
Honestly the 50+1 has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages outweighs the advantages.
Zambian election laws are based on the British election laws, that is why you will never hear the British High Commissioner commenting on this TOPIC. British election is based on a simple majority, you will never hear British having a 50+ election result.
50+ election result is costlier, it is not always that DONORS will give Zambia money for election but Zambia has to foot the bill. And this money can be used for reducing poverty in Zambia. Zambia needs to learn from Britain how they have succeeded with their simple majority election result.
All the countries in Africa with the 50+ election results are in political confusion and fighting over the same…
THE LISTENING GOVT IS COMING THIS YEAR.
RUPIAH IS SCARED OF PVT WHAT MORE 50+1 CLAUSE?
CHANGE IS COMING WITH OR WITHOUT 50+1 CLAUSE.
VIVA SATA AND PABWATO COME 2011.
IT’S OFFICIAL
“The pact between the United Party for National Development (UPND) and the Patriotic Front (PF) collapsed because UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema discovered that PF president Michael Sata is raising money from foreign powers by promoting homosexuality”.
Whilst they are at it asking for the PVT, 50+1 “with a president elect for 90 days (lol), they should also ask for gay rights. what a flamingo party indeed!
@
Barotseman do you know that on average us same eastern Zambians you are insulting are the most educated. Remember every province has different kingdoms and peoples, just like the over twenty in the wise east, so does my home of western province is not only Lozi. Grow up please, and re-read the document on Barotse it’s in the simplest English we are all Zambians. Problem in Zambia is the level of education of our MPs not how learned but how the actually decipher their job description.
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Good point #21, Barotseland is NOT the only kingdom in Zambia…
if we can table the presidential gratuity up third reading so quick in parliament we can enact the peoples will or wishes with or with out money this is our country and tomorrow is will belong to our children God willing but please listen to what the people are saying have some love for your country or history will judge you harshly . Let the Almighty God prevail on this.
Kabanda you are wastibg time and your move yesterday to petition parliament was a flop.
Where does this interest come from now. These PF things did not want to participate and were rendered irrelevant by Mwanawasa. Why the demo now when they were given a chance to attack at an opportune time. The fellows are still irrelevant even now. Just wasting people’s time!
There is something wrong here.
1-PF refused to participate in the constitution making process. The MP that accepted to sit on NCC were considered rabels facing expulsion
2- This constitution we are trying to improve now was made by MMD and was strongly defended by SATA…when he was national secreatary of MMD….this led to SIMON ZUKAS, and DIPARK PATEL to resign because they stood to speak against the current constitution…..SATA told DIPARK that if he does not like the constitution he should go to INDIA where he should be President……
So why should these PF stooges waste our time when their PRESIDENT was the cause for the mess which is currently in the CONSTITUTION. SATA has no foresight…..if he listened the BILLIONS of kwacha and time the country has pumped was going tob SAVED.
catholic bishop simon kabanda now married to a cathoilc nun should first move from his one roomed hostel at chainama hospital bcos they have taken up accomodation meant for single young nurses not men and women in collars and robes. first simon should tell me how he managed to shaft using his bigpipe a catholic nun and made her pregnant. we cannot believe such creeps
What SATA needs to do is to explain to his members that he DEFENDED this constitution in 1996 when MMD tailored it AGAINST KK. So he can not turn arround now and start sending his stooges to protest…..for what when he believed in it….
INFACT HE WANTED A 3RD TERM INCLUDED IN IT…..
PF wanted nothng to do with the NCC and now they want to hijack the process. Silly boys who wnat this constitution to have gay rights. We will not give you a cahnce to put your silly arguments for the gay group in our christian constitution. Ala imwe, abashi stu…pidity.
NO GAY RIGHTS….NO STRIP TEASE …in our constitution….and its final. You want to allow women stripping at bust terminers…..and MAN TO SORT MAN….WOMAN TO SORT OUT WOMAN in our CONSTITUTION…..waste of time….u had your chance to bring these at NCC and u refused to participate..
There is clear indication that Sata has no room in Zambian politics now. Lets have other people talk about the constitution. Sata is irrelevant now and this marks his final days. The last kicks of a dying horse. As for HH maybe his time will come but he could have used Sata to climb th ladder but he was too slow to climb. Anyway maybe we cannot blame him much because he is not gay like Sata!