CSCC joins Grand Coalition in opposing constitutional bill

The Civil Society Constitution Coalition (CSCC) has joined in urging all well-meaning genuinely patriotic Members of Parliament not to debate the Constitutional Bill but send it back to the people who have the mandate to give unto themselves a new constitution.

Judith Mulenga

CSCC Chairperson Judith Mulenga says her coalition has since turned down the invitation to appear and make submissions before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights, Gender Matters and Child Affairs on the Constitutional Amendment Bill presented to Parliament by the Justice Minister last Friday.

Ms Mulenga says CSCC and the larger Grand Coalition, remains opposed to the Parliamentary route of adopting the Constitution and made their sentiments known to the past and present Ministers of Justice including the Head of State when he was the Minister of Justice during numerous meetings and platforms that the Constitution should not be adopted through Parliament, but that their submissions have fallen on deaf ears.

She CSCC echoes the sentiments by constitutional legal minds that the adoption of the Constitution is not the preserve of Parliament which is itself a product of the Constitution and therefore the route that the PF government is taking is an illegitimate route and the resultant Constitution will not be legitimate as it would not have the loyalty, respect, confidence and agreement of the Zambian people.

Ms Mulenga states that the PF leadership has already decided on the outcome of the Bill and that the invitation to make submissions to the Legal Committee serves only to legitimize the process as no contrary submission will be considered as had happened on the Referendum Amendment Bill.

She since urged other stakeholders that have been invited to appear before the Legal Committee to refuse to do so as this would unwittingly legitimize an illegitimate process.

Ms Mulenga adds that the people of Zambia should also reject the outcome of this process as it does not embody their aspirations.