TRICKY DIALOGUES – ECL REMAINS UNBURIED IN A FAILED DIALOGUE
A KBN TV EDITORIAL COMMENT
We watched an update from State House in which both the Oasis Forum Chairperson, Ms.Beauty Katebe and President Hakainde Hichilema informed the nation about the progress made to an inconclusive dialogue process regarding the future of the proposed constitutional amendments.
In a brief update, both delegation leaders tried to steady their composure from what we understand to have been a very candid but tense meeting flaring with emotions.
Without disclosing much, the meeting announced that some progress had been made in which the two sides have agreed to scale down on the number of talking heads to a small group that is likely to convene as early as tomorrow.
Insiders say while the Oasis Forum wants Bill 7 withdrawn completely and a new holistic approach started which includes the Bill of Rights, the State is on the other hand proposing to negotiate the content and process.
While heeding widespread outcry to shelve Bill 7 would be the most desirable outcome of this dialogue, the State is hoping to come out with a negotiated end game that allows the ill-fated process to continue.
Constrained with time, the meeting agreed to adjourn the dialogue and task a smaller adhoc committee to focus on agreeing a new process and what sort of content if any, to be absorbed in the Constitutional amendment process.
Concerns are rife that even though the State is calling for dialogue, they seem fixated on wanting to push through with the widely condemned, denounced and rejected Bill 7, which seems to be suggesting a complete overhaul to the governance system.
Stakeholders have expressed concern that even though the State toutes dialogue as the most civilised way to resolve differences, former Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu remains unburied over fives months since he passed on in South Africa over a failed dialogue process.
With a sour taste in the mouth over the ECL failed dialogue process, the Oasis Forum must avoid being trapped into another tricky dialogue process where the State might want to dictate its way against the wishes of the citizens.
The most probable compromise and outcome of this dialogue should be to deffer the Constitutional amendment process until after the 2026 elections to give sufficient time to both the content, process and Bill of Rights.
Anything short of that, is laundering ill intentions and masking them in a dialogue camouflage.
Mr Hakainde Hichilema has a strange Version of Dialogue…It’s just NOISE.COFFEE. SELFIES.
The needle won’t move in any way…And the illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7 resting at committee stage in Nellie Mutti ‘s Parliament will be woken up before it adjourns sine die , and continue it’s path until it becomes Law. That’s Hakainde’s version of Dialogue.
He has now called his NGOs for dialogue on Monday…Mac Donald Chipenzi’s GEARS, Mwanza’s ZCLU, Muyunda ‘s SACCORD. The representatives of these Organisations are members of the Technical Committee on Bill 7… How can they condemn the process they are part of?
And come Tuesday, he will say he has listened to the two Parties, and Bill 7 continues.
Hakainde is a see through. You can see his Amateurish IMingaloto miles away.
To the Oasis Forum, the invitation of Mac Donald Chipenzi’s GEARS, Mwanza’s ZCLU can make you smell the coffee.
Foolishness, they say, is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different Result.
We have been there before.
ZCCB has been to State house.
CSOS have been to State house.
The illegitimate and unconstitutional Bill 7 still surfaces.
On ECL burial, dialogues and dialogues were held,
the body of ECL remains unburied in a Morgue in South Africa… Until Hakainde stands next to it, and gives a hollow speech, that’s when the late 6th President will be buried.
That’s Hakainde for you!
Ba KBN your editorial is not balanced and supports the oasis forum . It actually comes out like you are the forum yourselves than a media house. All laws including constitution making are a preserve of parliament and rather than making innuendos , noise and sarcasms the best way is to engage the members of parliament who will ultimately decide on the floor of the house. It cannot be that because one section of society is opposed to the constitution amendment than their views alone are the right one and must carry the day. Constitution making is a painful give and take process and no one section of society will have it all by themselves. You must learn to forgo part of your demands in order to also gain as each sector gets and gives away . This is what compromise means.
This edotorial is as rubbish as anything rubbish. KBN can take it for the shelves but not any reasonable person. True to the fact that you dont hv facts on the ground for opposing HH and govt, lies always hv to be part of your editorials. Shame on you. Keep on choking as HH sails past the nation’s haddles with every decision he makes
Ignore bitter and jealous article from this useless Tv no wonder only few people watch that useless station
Dialogue is very much part of conflict resolution. The fact that one dialogue failed doesnot mean it ceases to be a practical, mature and less destructive way of resolving issues.
Some aspects of the constitution can be amended before a comprehensive review of the same. To maintain that nothing should be amended until the full constituational review is being unreasonable and refusing to make progress.
What is required is transparency in addressing concerns like the availability of the delimitation report and where new constituencies are envisaged. This is a real matter of concern.
Only in the mind of the author is ECL issue connected to constitutional dialogue