Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) says it supports the purported government produced Constitution of Zambia Bill if it is meant to enact the country’s new constitution before 2016.
YALI‘s position follows its assessment of the remaining time between now and 2016 which it says is not enough for the country to hold a referendum and enact the constitution before the next general election.
YALI Governance Advisor Isaac Mwanza says they are in support of the idea that the enactment of constitution be done by Parliament without holding a referendum provided all the progressive clauses retained in the final draft constitution remain unchanged.
Mr. Mwanza has told Qfm News that YALI is of the view that after the constitution has been enacted; the country can still hold a referendum on the Bill of Rights which is the main reason why a referendum has been suggested to be inevitable.
He says Zambians should therefore not be comprehensive over the issue of the Bill of Rights.
The YALI Governance Advisor states that Zambia can learn from countries such as the Unites States of America whose constitution initially never had the Bill of Rights not until several amendments.
He explains that the manner in which the American constitution has been enacted is a demonstration that such national documents do evolve from time to time.
Mr. Mwanza says YALI is therefore calling upon all Members of Parliament from both the ruling party and the opposition to put their political differences aside and support the enactment of the country’s new constitution based on the final draft constitution.
He adds that YALI is of the view that it is no longer necessary for the new constitution to continue being a campaign issue each time there is an election but that the country should this time have a new supreme law before the 2016 general elections.