STAKEHOLDERS CONCERNED ABOUT RECENTLY RELEASED TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROCESS
Constitutional lawyer Tresford Chali has raised concerns over the recently released Terms of Reference for the ongoing constitutional amendment process, describing them as unclear.
In an interview with Phoenix News, Mr. Chali notes that the document largely replicates provisions already found in the draft constitution under bill no. 7.
Mr. Chali says this limits the committee’s ability to conduct a broad and independent review, effectively reducing its mandate to that of endorsement rather than objective scrutiny.
He has further expressed concern about the timeline of the process, noting that since bill 7 remains legally active in the National Assembly until December, the committee’s work is indirectly constrained by that deadline.
Meanwhile, another lawyer Isaac Simbeye has noted that despite the publication of the Terms of Reference, the committee remains illegal because its operations are not anchored to any clear legal framework, nor tied to a specific timeline.
While appearing on the Phoenix FM’s Let the People Talk Program yesterday, Constitutional Amendment Technical Committee Spokesperson Dr. Landilani Banda assured that the committee is committed to completing its work in the shortest time possible although he did not provide a specific timeframe.
PN