POLITICAL ANALYST SAYS 7-YEAR PRESIDENTIAL TERM TOO SHORT FOR DEVELOPMENT
By Joseph Kaputula
Political analyst Dr. Euston Chiputa says a seven-year presidential term is too short a period for a Head of State to deliver on developmental promises.
During his submission to the Technical Committee on Constitutional Amendment recently, former republican Vice President, Enoch Kavindele, proposed a one-off seven-year non-renewable presidential term of office for a Head of State in Zambia.
Reacting to this proposal, Dr. Chiputa notes that previous governments have failed to deliver on all promises in two five-year terms, and reducing the period to seven years could lead to even less being achieved.
Dr. Chiputa tells Phoenix News in an interview that If a crisis like a drought hits for a significant number of years, seven years would not be enough, and the President could be unfairly judged as incompetent .
He has since questioned whether the proposed term would give leaders sufficient time to address Zambia’s developmental challenges.
PHOENIX NEWS