Govt has no intention to repeal 50 percent plus 1 clause -Wina

Vice President Inonge Wina says the Patriotic Front government has not made any declaration to have the 50 percent plus 1 clause removed from the Republican Constitution.

Mrs. Wina says government does not have an intention to change this constitutional provision which prescribes the presidential winning threshold.

Speaking during the Vice President’s Question Time in Parliament, Mrs. Wina clarified that if there are any media reports suggesting to the contrary, such reports are only false information.

Mrs. Wina has told the House that changing or repealing of the 50 percent plus 1 is a matter that can nevertheless be discussed between herself and the Leader of the Opposition.

She says government is however listening to what people are saying on constitutional provisions they would like to change in order that Zambia is governed in a more democratic and transparent  manner.

Mrs. Wina states that, if people are therefore talking about removing the 50 percent plus 1 clause from the Constitution, such talk has nothing to do with government or ruling Patriotic Front.

The Vice President has however acknowledged that there are certain provisions in the Country’s supreme law that are stifling the implementation of certain government programmes.

She was responding to a question by Leader of the Opposition Jack Mwiimbu who wanted her to assure the nation  that the 2021 general elections will be held under the 50 percent plus 1 clause.                                     

And Mrs. Wina has told the House that government is content with the 2009 teachers it recently recruited.

She says this is the number of teachers the government can afford to recruit under current financial circumstance notwithstanding the deficit of teachers Zambia has.

Mrs. Wina however says government is considering to accelerate the recruitment of teachers and that next year government will hopefully increase the number of teachers it will recruit.

Meanwhile Mrs. Wina has assured farmers that sold crops to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) that the Ministry of Finance has promised to settle all outstanding arrears before the end of December.

She says the Ministry is currently releasing K20 million on a weekly basis to the Ministry of Agriculture to pay farmers who are owed money by the FRA.

Mrs. Wina was responding to questions posed  by Chimbamilonga Member of Parliament  Hastings Chansa and his Lufwanyama counterpart Leonard Fungulwe respectively.