Constitution bill debate curtailed

Debate on the constitution amendment Bill was today curtailed and deferred to tomorrow.

This follows concerns raised by some Members of Parliament through points of order that some of them had just seen the document today, and needed time to go through it.

UPND parliamentary Whip Garry Nkombo requested that debate be deferred to tomorrow to allow Members of Parliament some of whom had just seen the document today after returning from their various constituencies, time to go through the document.

Mr Nkombo said while he was communicated to by the Clerk of the National Assembly about the amendments in the bill, communication was only made on Friday evening making it difficult to get hold of his fellow UPND Members of Parliament most of whom had already travelled to their respective constituencies by then.

And Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mkhondo Lungu who was presiding over the proceedings allowed the deferment of the debate tomorrow after consultations.

Meanwhile the Grand Coalition (GC) says Zambians have been duped by the PF Government in the constitution making process.

Coalition Chairperson Fr. Leonard Chiti has noted with sadness the maneuvers by the PF Government to adulterate the contents of the Constitution Bill by removing certain clauses which include the Mixed Member Proportional Representation electoral system, the Provincial Assemblies, the appointment of Cabinet from outside Parliament, and the Vice President to be a Running Mate to the President by insisting that the President should fire the vice president.

Fr. Chiti says it is clear that the PF wants a continuation of costly Presidential Elections in the unlikely event of the serving Head of State passing on.

He says it is also clear that the Government does not want the Bill of Rights to be adopted.

Fr. Chiti says the argument by government that the country does not have adequate resources to support the Bill of Rights is baseless as rights can be progressively realised.

He states that the PF’s real fear is that if they spend a lot of money on the citizens of this country they will have little left for themselves.

He adds that the PF Government fears that these provisions once adopted will empower Zambians to have a better say on how they are governed.

Fr. Chiti says the PF Government wants to continue with the situation where the Executive controls the other wings of Government and institutions, a situation he says has escalated corruption and other ills in government.

He further states that it has become evidently clear that the PF regime is not interested in the will and aspirations of the citizens going by how they handled the Constitution making process from the time the Technical Committee released the Final Draft Constitution.

He says the Grand Coalition saw these schemes and manipulations from a distance, because there was no legal framework to guide the constitution making process, and no political will to complete the process legitimately.

Fr. Chit says the Grand Coalition appeals to Members of Parliament to summon their conscience and redeem this situation, stating that it is not too late.

He says MPs must reject the process of piecemeal amendment by reminding the PF what is contained in their 2011 – 2016 Manifesto and send the document back to the people for adoption wholesomely through a popular mode: the Referendum.

Fr Chiti states that it is the Grand Coalition’s conviction that regardless of the schemes by the PF, the will of the people of Zambia will ultimately prevail.