Govt advised to set up Referendum Preparations Committee

Constitutional Making Expert Simon Kabanda

Constitutional Making Expert Simon Kabanda has appealed to government to constitute a Referendum Preparations Committee tasked to prepare Zambians for participation in the National Referendum which he says should be held alongside the 2021 General Election.

Mr. Kabanda says the Republican Constitution will only be complete with a complete Bill of Rights when the nation holds a National Referendum to amend the Bill of Rights.

He tells QTV News that the Bill of Rights in its current form does not sit well in a document that provides for the Constitutional Court.

He points out that matters pertaining to violations of human rights ought to be handled by the Constitutional Court yet Article 28 refers them to the High Court.

Mr Kabanda states that this is because Zambia has an incomplete Bill of Rights sitting in an incomplete Constitution.

Mr. Kabanda has proposed that between June this year and December 2019, government must come up with programs to prepare for the Referendum, while in January 2020 to August 2021 it should prepare for the General election with August 2021 dedicated to the Referendum and the general.