Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz says the route Government has taken to table non contentious constitutional amendments in Parliament is arguably the most realistic chance to make meaningful changes to Zambia’s constitution.
Mr Schultz says it is therefore up to the people’s representatives in Parliament to discern and execute the people’s wishes.
He says the process of making changes to the constitution must be completely transparent and fully inclusive in order to maintain public confidence.
Mr Schultz states that after constitutional amendments have been made, a referendum tied to the Bill of Rights can be linked to the 2016 general election.
He says while a referendum might be preferable for passing all of the amendments, referenda are costly.
He says constitutional amendments are vital to helping countries grow over time and broaden protections for their citizens, especially multi-ethnic societies such Zambia and the United States.
Mr Schultz notes that the United States and Zambia share much in common such as respect their democratic heritage, peaceful changes of power, and distinction as voices for constitutionalism in their respective regions.