PEACE MUST COME BEFORE RIGHTS – TAYALI
Economic and Equity Party (EEP) president Chilufya Tayali says peace must take precedence over other national interests, arguing that constitutional rights, democracy and justice cannot be guaranteed in the absence of peace.
Mr Tayali says Zambia cannot effectively uphold human rights, conduct elections or provide access to justice if the country’s peace and stability are threatened.
In a statement, Mr Tayali has also argued that the rights of individuals whose actions genuinely threaten national peace and security may need to be temporarily restricted.
“There can be no Constitution without peace,” Mr Tayali said.
He said the preservation of peace should therefore remain the country’s foremost priority, even when this means limiting certain individual freedoms.
Mr Tayali said without peace, there would be no meaningful rights to enjoy, democracy to defend, courts to petition or Constitution to uphold.
“Therefore, peace must come first,” he said.
The EEP leader has since urged Zambians to protect the country’s peace and stability, saying these were fundamental to the continued existence of Zambia as a nation.