GOVERNMENT DISMISSES ALLEGATIONS THAT IT PLANS TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION SECRETLY
✅ Government has taken note of various sentiments being expressed by some sections of society particularly those in the political arena in regards to allegation that it wants to amend the constitution.
✅ Presently, government has no intention whatsoever to embark on constitutional amendments.
✅ There are no secret constitutional amendments being mooted by the New Dawn Administration.
To the contrary, Mr. Mweetwa gave a brief background of what transpired
✅ In 2022, Members of Parliament (MPs) gathered out of their collective effort and understanding of the challenges they were faced with in terms of reaching out to their electorates and certain issues of governance.
✅ The MPs held meetings in Parliament to talk about possibilities of attending to non-contentious matters in the constitution that were capable of being attended to by Parliament without recourse to a Constitutional amendment review or making Commission.
✅ The MPs identified certain issues that they termed non-contentious and these are the issues they intended to communicate to Cabinet so that it could come up with a proposal to amend the Constitution in line with the request by the MPs.
✅ President Hakainde Hichilema and Cabinet told the Members of Parliament through the Standing Orders Committee that, in terms of the hierarchy of national needs, the New Dawn Administration continues to prioritize working on the economy over amending the Constitution.
✅Any proposal to amend the constitution should be driven by the consensus of Members of Parliament particularly the opposition given that any amendment of the Constitution will not and cannot be done by the numbers represented by the ruling party.
✅ In this regard, to amend the Constitution, you need 2/3 majority but most importantly any amendment of the Constitution should be a product of consensus.
The Chief Government Spokesperson stated that the MPs presented the following issues as non-contentious for proposed Constitutional amendments:
1. Delimitation of Constituencies because there has been a contention at Parliament for quiet sometime now that the constituencies that Members of Parliament represent are so vast that it is practically and physically difficult for them to have greater outreach and interactions with their electorates.
2. Identification of a requirement by Members of Parliament to go back to sit in their local authorities or councils in order for them to participate in decision-making at local level.
3. Identification of a requirement to reduce or remove By-elections that are an unnecessary expenditure to the nation.
4. Identification of a requirement to remove legal lacunas in the Constitution of Zambia as it is currently subsisting after the 2016 amendments.
✅ The fact that opposition leaders and former president Edgar Lungu can still consider political appeasement even after learning the truth about how the proposal to change the Constitution originated is disheartening.
✅ The Chief Government Spokesperson expressed shock that some people can insinuate that President Hakainde Hichilema wants to remove the 50%+ 1 provision and adjust the term limit from 5 to 7 years.
✅ There is no known Constitution in any democracy that can be amended secretly, and even if it is Parliament, there will be a debate to it.
✅ President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration are on record that during the Bill 10 debate, they opposed the removal or amendment of the 50%+1 clause and any amendment to the term limit because 4 to 5 years is a standard across the globe.
✅ The 50+ 1 removal or amendment and the extension of the term limit from 5-7 years is actually a creature of the former administration.
✅ Riding on the theme of the Ministry of Information and Media 2022-2026 strategic plan which states, ‘A nation of a well-informed citizenry and responsible media, the Minister has since reiterated his call to the media to be responsible so that the citizenry can be well informed.
✅ The media being the custodian of the truth should not allow politicians to lie to the citizenry.
Which Members of Parliament came up with that list of non contentious clauses in the constitution?
Robert Chabinga?
An open, transparent, people driven Constitutional review is what is required, not some caucus of Malcontents masquerading as MPs with their so-called leader of the opposition, who are then given the list by the Mingalatoon, to hoodwink the people that it was prepared by the Opposition. Who is the Mingalatoon cheating? Can this man be so generous as to give the opposition the responsibility to identify non contentious clauses in our constitution?
We know the modus Operandi of the Mingalatoon. We have seen and lived with his lies, dishonesty when in opposition and in government.
The people of Zambia, the Church, Civil Society, Traditional leaders, students will have to be involved to identify those non contentious clauses…the Majoritarian Presidential System, Vice President running mate, 5 year Presidential term, Requirements for Nominations as President and Member of Parliament are no go areas.
Too much power is vested in one individual, Zambia is always at the mercy of the incumbent and we have constitutional lawyers!!!!!!!.