Saki counsels Zambians on new constitution

Renowned Constitutional lawyer Sakwiba Sikota has counseled Zambians to realize that adopting a new constitution through a referendum does not in itself make it law.

Mr. Sikota says even if the constitution was to be adopted through a referendum as many stakeholders are advocating, the constitution will still have to go through Parliament to be enacted into law.

In an interview with Qfm News, Mr. Sikota states that this includes part three of the constitution and the Bill of Rights which government will subject to a referendum.

Mr. Sikota says this is because Parliament is the only arm of government that makes laws.

He notes that it is for this reason that he wonders where the argument suggesting that tabling of non contentious clauses of the final draft constitution in Parliament sets a bad precedent is coming from.

Mr Sikota states that for the fact that government has published the Constitution of Zambia Bill 2015 and Constitution Amendment Bill 2015, the debate is no longer about the mode of adoption.

He says the debate should now focus on the contents of the Constitution Bills.

Mr. Sikota is therefore encouraging people in the country to start lobbing their representatives in Parliament on the provisions they prefer and which they do not like in the published Bills.

He believes it is from this lobbying that people in the country will make it known to the legislature how they want their constitution to be.