Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has condemned the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) for refusing to amend National Constitution Conference (NCC) but instead go ahead increasing the composition in the conference.

And the UPND has said the MMD should have amended the NCC Act to address concerns raised by other stakeholders in the constitution making process.

UPND President Hakainde Hichilema said at a press briefing in Lusaka today that his party would fight tooth and nail for what he termed a people driven constitution.

Mr. Hichilema said the UPND National Management Committee (NMC) decided on two days ago that his party should not relent in its quest for a people driven constitution in the NCC, the national referendum and parliament.

He said despite the failures in the past attempts to compel the ruling party to include all the stakeholders’ concerns in the NCC, the party would devise new methods of advocating for the constitution that would address concerns of Zambians.

He told journalists that the UPND engaged into consultative meetings with the seventh Day Adventist Church, Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia (EFZ) Zaambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) and other stakeholders I an attempt to resolve the differences in the constitutional making process.

Mr. Hichilema at the NCC, the UPND would fight for a president elected by 50 + 1 majority of the valid votes, enshrining of the election date in the constitution and independence of the Electoral Commission of Zambia which should have representation from political parties, churches and NGOs.

“The Chief Justice should not be the Returning Officer for the presidential elections, but the chairperson of the independent Electoral Commission, there should be a mixed proportional representation system of elections to parliament,” he said.

He further said the party was against a piecemeal amendment to the constitution, saying “The whole document should be subjected to a referendum after the NCC has agreed to its contents”.

He also said the party would advocate that members of parliament who defected from a party should be barred from contesting for the position until after that term of office expires.

The other things the party would fight for was the entrenchment of the economic and social rights in the constitution especially the right to education, health, employment, clean water supply and decent housing.

Mr. Hichilema said the bill of rights should be amended to improve people’s rights especially of children and women.

He stressed that the Freedom of Information Bill should be clearly stated in the constitution to guarantee the freedom of the press.

“There should be funding of political parties from public resources on criteria to be agreed in order to strengthen democracy and avoid abuse of public funds by the ruling party,” he said.

The UPND leader said at parliament level, his party would endeavour to fight for what it has always advocated for.

The ruling party need at this stage to gunner two thirds majority for which it it short by 29 Members of Parliament.

He said his 22 MPs would not vote with the MMD in parliament and warned that whichever UPND MP would side with the MMD would be disciplined.

Currently, parliament comprises 73 MPs for MMD, Patriotic Front 41, UPND 22, the United Liberal Party (ULP) three and United National Independence Party (UNIP) has two.

The Forum for Democracy and Development has two MPs, the National Democratic Focus has one. There are three independent MPs in parliament.

President Levy Mwanawasas has arrived in the Portuguese Capital, Lisbon, today to attend the European Union (EU)/ African Union (AU) Summit which opens tomorrow.

Dr. Mwanawasa arrived in Lisbon at around 16:35 Zambian time after concluding a three-day official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The President was welcomed at Lisbon International Airport by Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho and senior government officials.

Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Zambia’s Ambassador to Italy Lucy Mung’oma and other senior Zambian government officials were also on hand to receive the President.

Others who are in trhe adavance party of the Zambian delegation are Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felex Mutati and State House Deputy Minister Richard Taima.

In Germany, President Mwanawasa held several meetings including private talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Horst Kohler.

The two-day Africa-Europe Summit has been convened in Lisbon as part of the efforts to forge stronger political and economic ties between the two continents.

Top on the agenda of the Lisbon Summit are issues on human rights, good governance, global warming, immigration and trade.

The build up to the summit has been controversal with British Prime Minister Gorden Brown staying away from the meeting because of misunderstandings with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

At a joint press briefing in Berlin with President Mwanawasa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said other EU member states were going to be present at the Lisbon Summit despite Britain’s boycot.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe including other 52 African leaders is expected in Lisbon today for his first EU Summit in seven years.

At the instance of the AU, however, Portugal invited all African leaders including President Mugabe to attend the summit.

Deputy Minister for Youth, Sport and Child Development Angela Cifire has disclosed that government was working towards having 50 per cent of youths in employment by the year 2015.

Ms. Cifire said government, through the national youth policy, was focusing on having 30 per cent young people in all levels of decision making in the country in the next eight years.

She said the young people should be guided to make decisions that would make them productive in the country.

She has since called on parents, guardians and other adults to provide love and guidance to the young people for them grow into respectable and responsible citizens of Zambia.

Ms. Cifire was speaking today when she launched the “Love Re-defined Project” under the Motivated Generation International organisation for youths at Lusaka’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

And former Vice President, Nevers Mumba urged young people to make right decisions so that they did not regret when they are old.

Earlier, MGI President, Steady Phiri said time has come for young people to stand up and redefine their values for them to be responsible people in society.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, ahead of this weekend’s EU-Africa summit. He is banned from the EU, but was let in after African leaders threatened to stay away if he was not invited.

UK PM Gordon Brown, who is critical of Mr Mugabe’s human rights record, is boycotting the summit in protest.

EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has criticised Mr Brown’s decision, saying that leaders sometimes have to meet people they disapprove of.

“If you are an international leader then you are going to have to be prepared to meet some people your mother would not like you to meet. That is what we have to do from time to time,” he said.

Overshadowed

The president of the European parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, expressed his hope that Mr Mugabe’s presence would not overshadow the summit.

“The presence of one person is a fact, but the relations between Africa and the European Union are more important than the presence of this person,” he said.

Mr Brown has decided to stay away

The highlight of the two-day summit will be the launch of a “new strategic partnership” between the EU and Africa to tackle issues such as development, good governance, peace, security, migration, energy and climate change.

EU aid for improvements to roads, bridges, telecommunications is set to rise to 5.6bn euros in 2008-2013, up from 3.75bn in 2002-2007.

The EU will also be attempting to draw up a number of new trade agreements with individual African countries and regional blocs.

The World Trade Organization has set a deadline for the end of the year, after which the current preferential trade agreement between the EU and the 78-nation Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group will cease to operate.

But the head of the West African trade grouping told the BBC that the EU should extend its 31 December deadline to sign the new Economic Partnership Agreements.

Mohammed Ibn Chambas said many African countries were concerned that the agreements lacked balance.

East African countries have already signed up to the new deals.

Although Mr Brown is boycotting the summit, the UK will be represented by the former International Development Secretary, Baroness Amos.
[BBC]

President Mwanawasa has urged Zambians living abroad not to be complacent with their life in foreign countries but learn to invest in their home country.

The President was speaking at Zambia’s ambassador’s residence in Berling, Germany last night when he addressed Zambians resident in that Germany.The President said government did not want to see a situation of ‘A Phiri ana bwera,’ referring to a song by the late Nashil Pitchen of a man who came home empty handed after years of luxury life away.

He said government did not want such situations to happen to some of its nationals living abroad prevail hence his advice to them to invest back home.

“Always think of home. Send money and start constructing houses back home. We do not want to see a situation where you come back home with nothing after spending many years out of the country,” President Mwanawasa advised.

Dr Mwanawasa said he was aware that some Zambians abroad were reluctant to send money for fear of the money being misapplied by their relatives.

The President urged such people to utilise the services of institutions such as the Zambia National Building Society which would ensure that their investment were secure.

President Levy Mwanawasa also said he is disappointed at the failure by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to prosecute corruption cases on time.

Dr Mwanawasa says the crusade against corruption is well intended although no remarkable success has been recorded by the ACC so far.

He was responding to a question from a Zambian national on the effectiveness of the ACC in handling corruption cases.

President Mwanawasa said he regretted that the courts were taking exceedingly long to prosecute cases on plunder of the country´s economy.

“I am disappointed that the majority of these cases have now taken five years without being finished. I’m told that almost all these cases have now just reached midway. This is very sad indeed,” President Mwanawasa said.

The President said it was now apparent that the majority of the plunder cases may not be concluded by the time his tenure of office comes to an end in 2011.

He said government wanted the cases to be disposed of quickly so that those accused could be vindicated.

Dr Mwanawasa who has just concluded his official visit to Germany, said he failed to understand why it was taking long to finish the cases.

He however attributed the delays partly to unneccessary adjournments of corruption cases in the courts of law.

The President said the continued adjournments would complicate the cases as witnesses would die in the process or change their statements given at police stations due to passage of time.

“It is therefore extremely important that such cases are handled quickly to avoid these complications,” the President said.

He dispelled assertions that the fight against corruption was targeted at certain individuals saying instead that it was well intended and has gained the country a lot of respect.

Dr Mwanawasa also said his government has never interferred in the operations of the judiciary although it wanted timely conclusion of corruption cases currently pending in courts.

And Zambia´s ambassador to Germany General Kingsley Chinkuli told the Zambian community in Germany that the President’s visit to that country had been a great success.

General Chinkuli said since Germany was the third most industralised country in the world after the United States of America and Japan, President Mwanawasa´s visit would greatly benefit Zambia.

The ambassador said as a result of Dr Mwanawasa’s visit, the bilateral relations between Zambia and Germany had been raised to higher and stronger levels.

General Chinkuli commended Zambians living in Germany for travelling from different parts of Germany to meet the head of state.

President Mwanawasa today leaves Germany for Portugal to attend the Europe/Africa summit which opens tomorrow.

While in Germany, Dr Mwanaawasa held private talks with Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Horst Kohler.

He also met Germany potential investors and the business community and urged them to consider investing in Zambia as the country offers an attractive investment climate.