As the countdown to the official opening of parliament draws nearer expectations from stakeholders agitating for the release of the draft constitution are high as they call on president Michael Sata tackle the issue in his address to parliament on Friday.

Southern African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) Executive Director Boniface Cheembe says it is of paramount importance that the president provides a road map on the constitution making process which he says has become a divisive issue when it is suppose to be a uniting as it seeks to provide for the well being of all Zambians.

Mr. Cheembe says the process has taken too long hence the need for the president to give a clear road map as he has all the authority to determine how the process proceeds.

Below is the full statement issued by the SACCORD Executive Director.

Presidential Speech

As the nation awaits the presidential address of the national assembly which we believe will set direction for the PF government’s governance and development agenda, we would like to share the following expectations from President Sata’s speech:

i. The constitution making process which has remained a divisive issue must be addressed and a clear roadmap must be presented by the president in his address to parliament on 19th September 2014. We believe that this is a process which should never be divisive but rather uniting in that it seeks to provide for the wellbeing of all human beings in Zambia. The process has taken too long and we believe that at this moment the President has all the authority to determine and direct the process.

ii. The president must reassure the nation on important freedoms such as Expression, Assembly and Association. Government actions such as threats to the media as well as restrictions on access to information, poor administration of the Public Order Act (POA) and violence against opposition supporters which is at times perpetrated by the law enforcement agencies take away people’s right to enjoy these freedoms. We therefore urge the president to recommit his government to ensuring that rights for all Zambians irrespective of their political affiliation are protected.

iii. In an effort to improve the general well being of the people, we hope that the President will share clear guidelines on how the country will continue to create employment for the many unemployed young people. It has now increasingly become apparent that youth unemployment creates a readily available pool of human resource that can be used for political violence which is not good for our communities, youths, and democracy.

iv. The President must show commitment and political will to ensuring that the revised decentralization policy in terms of its implementation is expedited. As SACCORD we believe that the revised decentralization policy is important in improving service delivery in the country and also in helping bring governance closer to the people. Therefore, we expect the President to highlight government’s intention to expedite the process of implementing the policy.

v. Parliament has been a witness to a number of submissions with regards to the abuse of government resources by people working in the government. The auditor general’s reports have consistently highlighted these abuses which have led to the nation losing billions of Kwacha as a result of poor transparency and accountability measures. We would like the president to address how the issue of government resources will be safeguarded from plunder and instead used to begin to benefit the people of Zambia.

vi. There have been continued periods of tension in the country as a result of lack of national mechanisms to resolve conflicts which arise from time to time especially in the political arena. We believe that political conflicts are a major threat to Zambia’s peace and need deliberate efforts to address them before they escalate into violence. We therefor want to urge the government to create national mechanisms for resolving conflicts. Time is ripe for Zambia to develop a National Peace Architecture which would work to resolve conflicts as well as prevent would be conflicts.

vii. We further expect parliament to take the president’s address seriously and ensure that the president and his government are held accountable for all the promises that are made. The speech to parliament must never be a formality and joking moment rather a serious time to give direction for national development.

On Friday, September 19, 2014 President Michael Sata will officially open Parliament where amongst other things he will address the nation to provide direction on how the Patriotic Front Government intends to govern our great nation, at a time we celebrate the Golden Jubilee.

2014 is a unique year because Zambia celebrates 50 years of political independence. We therefore believe that President Sata’s speech will be instructive and give solutions to the social and economic challenges which Zambia has been faced with over the years.

Without doubt, the major cause of most, if not all the challenges that we face as a country is as a result of the bad constitution which we inherited from the colonial masters. Today, poverty levels are soaring, with Zambians having no food on their table, no decent shelter, or even clean drinking water because of poor governance.

It is disheartening that 50 years after independence, our development priorities have been misplaced largely because of the defective and inadequate constitution. Infrastructure development has continued to be haphazard, mostly driven by political expedience to favour those with a hold on political power.

It is therefore the hope of the Grand Coalition that on Friday, September 19, President Michael Sata will break the chains and yoke of economic slavery and give Zambians reason to celebrate the Golden Jubilee by releasing and giving a clear roadmap on the Constitution making process. We expect President Sata to announce, in his speech that, his Government will give the Constitution making process a legal framework. Short of these pronouncements, it will be clear that President Sata and the PF used deception to get into office.

Empty statements that the Government is committed to the enactment of a new constitution are over used clichés which Zambians are tired of hearing.

Zambians are resolute and want President Sata to commit the following:

1. That he releases the final draft constitution to the Zambian people NOW.
2. That the Constitution making process roadmap must end by December 2015 with the enactment of a new people driven constitution.
3. That the 2016 local government, parliamentary and presidential elections should be held under the new constitution.
4. That the government must in the 2015 national budget provides resources for a national referendum and the operationalization of a referendum commission.

It is the demand of Zambians as reflected in all the successive constitution making processes that the new people-driven Constitution must be adopted through a popular mode – a national referendum.
The failure by President Sata to commit to the above issues will be a clear testimony of the lack of political will by the PF government to give Zambians what is rightfully theirs.

FOR /THE GRAND COALITION ON A PEOPLE DRIVEN CONSTITUTION

Fr. Leonard Chiti
CHAIRPERSON

Ace Dimes has released his debut single “Zungulusa” , means to go turn round and round in this instance referring to a Love affair that will stand the test of time.

Listen/Download the song on the following links:

Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/slamdunkrecords/ace-dimes-zungulusa

Hulkshare
http://www.hulkshare.com/c79bhgtm48ow

4shared
http://www.4shared.com/mp3/hfEx3nvsce/Ace_Dimes_-_Zungulusa_Produced.html

Lookout for more from Ace Dimes in the near future…

Interact with him on Social media ;
https://www.facebook.com/AceDimes
https://twitter.com/AceDimez

BY KAPA187