President Edgar Lungu has said that he will allow Members of Parliament to decide the course of the Constitution as they start debating.
President Lungu told reporters in Lusaka shortly before departure for Mansa that his stance and views over the constitution are well known. The President said that he will not interfere in the process in the spirit of democracy.
President Lungu said that Parliamentarians are the people’s representatives and know what to include and what not to. Justice Minister Ngosa Symbyakula on Friday last Week presented the Constitution of Zambia bill to parliament.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has taken a swipe at the Provincial Administration in Luapula for failing to organize fuel for the dredgers in Lunga District.
The President says it is sad that dredgers for canals in Lunga which is only accessible by water and air have had not fuel since January this year.
He has advised Luapula Province Minister Benson Kapaya and his Permanent Secretary Boniface Chimbwali to be able to speak with relevant offices in order to develop the area.
The President says it doesn’t have to take him to visit certain areas for development to take place as Zambia is too big.
Speaking when he held a meeting with 4 Chiefs of Lunga district, President Lungu also expressed concern that only 40 bore-holes have been earmarked for the district out of the 920 set for Luapula and Central Provinces.
He has assured the traditional leadership that he will again visit the district in November with some diplomats accredited to Zambia to appreciate the situation and see how they can help.
The President has also stated that construction of health posts will soon commence in the district as there was some challenge between an Indian contractor and his government.
And General Kapaya says efforts to push the Ministry of Works and Supply for fuel have been in vain hence the two dredgers have been parked since January while the drivers continue getting paid for not doing any work.
Meanwhile Luapula Constituency MP Emerine Kabanshi thanked President Lungu for being the first sitting President to visit the area in over 30 years.
Mrs. Kabanshi has appealed to President Lungu to also find time and visit the game reserve in the district as part of helping promoting tourism.
And Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya says equipment for construction of health posts is already in the province and will soon be air lifted from Mansa to Lunga by ZAF as the area is inaccessible by road.
And Chief Nsamba of the Unga people of Lunga district has assured President Edgar Lungu of massive votes from his subjects in the 2016 General Elections.
Chief Nsamba says this is because the people are happy that the President has demonstrated that he is a hard worker like the late President Michael Sata.
He has also thanked Mr. Lungu for declaring October 18 as day for national prayers and making it a holiday adding that this adds value to Zambia’s declaration as a Christian Nation by Late President Fredrick Chiluba.
The Chief has also welcomed President Lungu’s pronouncement that government will soon start issuing National Registration Cards and voters cards in the area stating that his fears of youths in the area being de-franchised have now been allayed.
He has also asked government to expedite the awarding of prospective licenses for oil and gas for block number 2 which he says will help in poverty alleviation in the area through job creation.
Other chiefs that were part of the meeting are Senior Chief Kalimankonde, Chief Kasomalunga, Chief Bwalya Mponda and Sub Chief Mweshi.The Chief was speaking during a meeting with President LUNGU in Lunga district.
President Lungu who also toured the construction site of the new Lunga District was accompanied by Luapula Province Minister Benson Kapaya, Local Government Minister Steven Kampyongo, Community Development Minister Emerine Kabanshi, Health Deputy Minister Chitalu Chilufya, and State House Deputy Minister Mulenga Sata.
Meanwhile, President Edgar Lungu has reiterated government’s commitment to develop Lunga district.
The President says he has seen the challenges on his own and will ensure that the canals in the area dredged and deepened to allow bigger boats reach the area.President Lungu was speaking when he addressed a rally in the district.
President Lungu says he has seen the challenges on his own and will ensure that the canals are dredged and deepened to allow bigger boats reach the area.
The Head of State says while some projects for the construction of the Police Camp and Post Office have progressed others have slowed down hence will engage contractors through his Special Assistant for Project Monitoring Lucky Mulusa who was is part of his delegation.
The President Lungu has also called on youths in the area to ensure that they get NRCs and register as voters so that their voices can be heard in next year’s general elections.
Campaigns have started.
Anyone thinking vision-less Edgar can or cannot allow anything must be deluded. At his house Edgar is at liberty to do as he wishes. Unfortunately Zambia as a country is governed by rule and regulations. The PF promised a constitution with 90 days. They are in their 5th year of their term and still nothing. Both Edgar Lungu & Ngosa Simbyakula are failed lawyers and nothing, I repeat nothing will positive will come out of this constitution making process. Nothing!!
Do you need to wait for Indians to come and build health posts? We have the designs and the capacity to built health centers for any areas in the country. The only down side is you the government don’t pay for construction services rendered to you. So if you can pay, we can build the health centers, schools, hospitals and even houses for you. And we are Zambians.
That’s because its the Indian Exim Bank that gave you the loan to erect over 300 of their own prefab clinics equipped with their own equipment…everything imported of course..but this utterly lazy bum Edgar has no shame at all about making utterances about their being a challenge even when its Indians supply everything from India we simply pay back the loan when due.
Yes its compaign…! Hh and his failed gbm are busy compaigning and u want Lungu to sit back and relax…?
Constitition making is premised on the idea that all citizens are equal. The ideas of the people have already been compiled. Do we then not see the danger of some compromised, partisan and self interested individuals merely turning the document into self preserving tool? There could have been a better way.
Read Constitution and not Constitition. Thanks.
Bee Esi,
Which other better way? When you were called to present your views in the beginning of the Constitution making, you were busy refraining… some NGOs were formed for the interests of the NGOs CEOs. Now that the exercise in its conclusion, your mouth is opening to utter the unprintable. You do not even know any way.. You are in foreign land ….how much have you sent home to support the Referendum you always seek? Your posting is nothing more than cow dung.
what is bashi tasila afraid of ? kampeningi so early !!
There are so many problems in Luapula s highlighted in this report. Sometims I feel sorry how politicians take advantage of our relatives in rural areas. Since January, no diesel/fuel for the dredgers!!!!!!! In other words these equipment are non functional. And , the Chief speaks on behalf of others praising the President.
The Presido is right. Let us look at the Constitution Draft properly. I only hope our MPs have looked at this document critically. I have read the document over and over and all i can see is confusion and wishful thinking. It does not converge as articles are pulling in different directions. Look at the running mate clause. If a presidential Candidate chooses a Vice Presidential running mate from a different Party, and it so happens that the Vice President has more members of Parliament . He is favoured by both the proportional representation and the elective representation in the National Assembly . The president proposes a Cabinet which has to be approved by this parliament! The Constitution is silent on a Coalition Government, its formation and Modus Operandi. Who runs…
Who runs this government? What lessons have been learnt from the Joyce Banda Mbingu Mutharika Fall out in this Constitution. Let us assume the Candidates are from the same party but the running mate resigns from the party but continues being in Government as Vice President. What if he is appointed President of a Party which has majority seats in Parliament? Is this the document Father Chiti and Mapenzi want us to approve without scrutiny?
so in short those dredgers had fuel wen Guy scort Was president since u came in Bwana u have faild to give them fuel do u expect them to urinate fuel if yo chikwanda cant give them money they wiill be like that until ur voted out of power next year.
Most of you commenting here do not understand the difference between ushering in a new Constitution and merely making an amendment(s) to it. The basis of a new Constitution includes a greater participation of the people. What they want to see in it, how they wish to be governed and their rights protected. In other words, allowing a government to exist, but ensuring there are power limitations, rule of law and protection of individual rights ensured. The current Constitution accords too much executive power and has clauses that limit expression and free association. Peoples views were collected during the review commissions work and recommendations made as to the changes people wanted. This would then be confirmed in a referendum. MP’s (with PF majority) can simply vote no to all the…
… the peoples demands. What would, then, have been the purpose of a document that has clauses reflecting the peoples wishes, is robust and would stand the test of time, if MP’s could simply disregard it in favour of their own all powerful interest driven unaccountable Constitution? The Constitution is the umbrella of all laws. It is a contract between the governors and governed. The governed are the most important and their say is crucial. MP’s, especially in a majority government will work to serve only their interests (they do that with the ordinary laws everyday) The Constitution is meant to be a shield for the people against arbitrary encroachments on their being.
as Barack Obama said, change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time, we are the ones we’ve been waiting for, we are the change that we seek, in the end, that’s what campaigning and elections are all about, do we participate in a politics of “CYNICISM” or a politics of ”HOPE”.
Why have a Constitutional review commission go around the whole country collecting peoples views and then subject the data to amendments for MPs to decide on? What if all the significant clauses demanded are thrown out by self-serving MPs? Billions of tax payers money gone down the drain and a powerful executive and rights usurping Constitution still in place. Its an illusion, especially with the kind of politics and set-up in Zambia, that MPs represent the peoples’ wishes. The aim of this bygone Constitutional Review was to set a different and more meaningful change to governance issues – compared to the other reviews that were done in good faith, but nothing became of them (the Mwanakatwe commission, Mungomba etc.)
EL that is the way to go concentrate going to the areas where you were voted. Interact with the people, articulate your course or else people will cast their votes on opposition UPND. People there still are in confusion they don’t know what to do. Hence the apathy of not just participating in voting. So EL go for them do what you can for them to appreciate your leadership. You will see how they will vote for you. Don’t waste time be with them.
Looks like we have to start from scratch again when another government comes in. Africa aweh mwandi!!! Really a cursed people. Even your so called prayers cannot give you wisdom.
Bati PF officials are hopeless, it takes the president to notice things are not working….. What are all those bloated cabinet doing??
In short we are going to have a PF useless MPs constitution
Edgar are you referring to the MP’s with no integrity? They will do anything for you so that their jobs are secure
WE WANT A PEOPLE DRIVEN CONSTITUTION NOT A PARLIAMENT DICTATED ONE THANKS