Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
YALI President Andrew Nthewewe
Government has been called upon to constitute a Referendum National Coordinating team of 7 volunteers from Civil Society, the Electoral Commission of Zambia, Central Statistical Office and Department of National Registration for purposes of planning the referendum.
The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) is calling on Government to take ownership and expedite the process of conducting a referendum on the Bill of Rights.
The organization has proposed that the referendum take place in early 2019, to facilitate the repeal and enactment of the new Constitution of Zambia.
YALI President Andrew Nthewewe in a statement, says while Zambia’s cooperating partners, including the Commonwealth, must be engaged on the possibility of funding the Referendum, his organization is alive to fact that about 90 percent of funding for these democratic processes – including the 2016 general election – have been borne by Zambia’s taxpayers through Government.
Mr. Nthewewe states that donors contributed about 5 percent of the total costs in the last election cycle.
He says the responsibility of conducting the next Referendum, therefore, rests on Government’s commitment to providing some minimal funding in the 2019 National Budget and the spirit of volunteerism among stakeholders rather than asking donors to carry the burden.
He has also called on civil society and the public service to exhibit the spirit of volunteerism without the usual expectations of being paid allowances which normally make a bulky part of these democratic processes.
Mr. Nthewewe says there is need to engage Government Printers in the printing of the referendum ballot papers at very minimal costs and work with the media as a crucial vessel in educating members of public on the importance of the referendum and removing misinformation on the content of the Bill of Rights.