Members of Parliament have spent the entire Thursday night and into the early hours of Friday morning debating amendments to the draft constitution.
By 07 Hours, MPs were still debating the Constitutional Bill of the National Assembly of Zambia No. 17 of 2015 as the House is likely to adjourn sine die on Friday.
MPs from the ruling PF and the MPs formed alliances and passed several amendments to the Bill.
Articles such as the establishment of Provincial Assemblies and increasing Parliament by 94 nominated MPs have been rejected.
The 50+1 and the presidential running mate clauses passed while the proposal to have Cabinet appointed from outside Parliament was rejected.
The article on dual citizenship was also passed.
Most of the PF MPs who debated said the amendments were necessarily as they are meant to save costs.
Roan MP Chishimba Kambwili said establishing provincial assemblies and increasing the number of seats in Parliament would have added 538 more people on Government payroll.
Kabwata MP Given Lubinda said the ruling party had to take the lead in making amendments as it was representing the will of the people.
Meanwhile, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has charged that stakeholders who were against the parliamentary route to adopt the constitution will be vindicated soon.
LAZ President George Chisanga has told QFM News in interview that the issues that were raised by stakeholders such as the Grand Coalition, Oasis Forum and others will soon come to the fore during the ongoing constitution reform process.
Mr. Chisanga has explained that as things stand, Members of Parliament have the powers to include anything that they want in the constitution as well as remove certain clauses.
He says this makes it difficult to keep what the people had submitted through various constitution forums.
Mr. Chisanga states that the new constitution of Zambia will not be enacted in the manner the PF promised the people.
And Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) President Andrew Nthewewe says it is too early to state whether the parliamentary route will not produce positive results.
Mr. Nthewewe says his organization has been assured that concerns raised of manipulating the content should be ignored.
Just make sure we have a new constitution before next year’s elections… enough of this and that. how much monies do you want to keep ‘chewing’ over this same issue called constitution?? 16 years down the line and still nothing productive…
Nichani
proposal to have Cabinet appointed from outside Parliament was rejected
this is what we didn’t want. they know such a clause disadvantages them. the main reason we the people proposed this clause was so that cabinet is not full of unlearned dunderheads like chimbwili.
how much more have we got to lose? this is no longer people driven but Fat Pigs MPs driven!
Bravo people’s representatives! This is landmark progress at best. It ends a vicious cycle of amorally shredding tax payers’ scarce resources in perpetuity over the same thing. Now let our children, their spouses and Grand children we had in the diaspora take their dual citizenship after assent to the bill by His Excellency President ECL. The benefit of dual citizenship to the country are innumerable. How does a country deny its own people in their millions? Very proud Zambians.
I will hold an Australian citizenship
I f parliament has powers to include or exclude proposals made by wider consultative bodies why waste time and money on these bodies gathering submissions countrywide. Why not cut out these constitution get-togethers and replace them with submissions made through MPs. We are just very dim for expecting too much from most of the failures we send to the house. Expecting MPs to vote against their appointment to ministerial positions is downright stupid.
You are right reading some comments here, you have to be dim to expect a government to give the people what they want on a silver platter. Its unfortunate but its a lack of education by the majority who reason like party cadres.
“And Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) President Andrew Nthewewe says it is too early to state whether the parliamentary route will not produce positive results.
Mr. Nthewewe says his organization has been assured that concerns raised of manipulating the content should be ignored.”
was this said after last night seating? the constitution has been changed without our involvement. So almost everything that we submitted was been basically thrown out.
I have also been vindicated. I said Nevers Mumba was an immature politician for allowing his mps to vote with the PF and someone, a PF cadre I think argued otherwise. The constitution has been mutilated. Lubinda should be reminded that his president won by only 27,000 votes and barely 35% of the country voted so I have no idea what he means by the will of the people, which people!!! He sounds like Kambwili.
The legitimacy of a supreme law such as the Constitution depends on the process used to arrive at the same. A robust, people Constitution would ideally have been subjected to either constituent assemblies or a referendum. What was the initial plan or terms of reference for this one? Was the aim merely to amend the existing Constitution or overhaul it and usher in a new dispensation reflecting common significant submission points? These are the questions we should be asking in order to arrive at the conclusion whether this is just another amendment exercise rather than a ‘revolution’. I don’t subscribe much to the notion that Parliament represents the peoples’ wishes (not especially in Zambia where MP’s only appear nearer to election time)
Imwe lets get the new constitution. Analysis after analysis will not give us a constitution. Zambians we just known for analysis but no action. Leave the process to proceed. After all in this World nothing, and I repeat, nothing is perfect no matter how hard you try. Even the people you think will give you a perfect constitution can not do it on this earth.
What more do people want
Comment:50 + 1 is still there presidential running mate is there opposition what do want kanshi?or I remember they removed the clause of more cows in your pocket
How come they were not affected by black out??
Not too bad. From the way the naysayers were talking, I thought we, the people, will get nothing. But we got the 50%+1, presidential running mate, dual citizenship. I am happy with that. The first past the post electoral style was long past its due date. We need to move with the times. Eventually we will get to the proportional representation system but for now, not bad at all.
That’s okay by me, so what is the hullaballoo all about? This parliament has done a commendable job, if only for once. For once, I have to accept and agree that what the people wished for did not make sense at all.
Thanks Chagwa, we will definitely give you another vote. Ignore some people, as we know them they will never praise others however good their work is. They suffer from infiriority complex.
Comment: what about the contravecial public order act, did they amend it?
I never submitted to the Draft Constitution (the one that has just been passed by Parley) but I really want to find out; what was the reasoning behind having a law that would allow 94 nominated MPs? Would those nominated ones be entitled to the same conditions as the current MPs? And was any current MP in favour of the same?
We are anxiously waiting for official report on this. 1st prize would have been for 100% of the constitution bill being adopted. It looks 97% of what I would want to see in the new constitution has been retained. Well done MPs. It was worth the late night & you’ve not disappointed given the weight of the nation you were carrying on your shoulders. Exceptional leadership from GRZ & the President on this important issue. I was beginning to doubt your capacity to be progressive but you will have bought back most of the confidence if the report I’m hearing about most of the Constitution with key clauses having gone through is true. You will have recreated & redefined Zambia as a modern progressive nation with more power to the people. God Bless Zambia!
So far so good, unless there are surprises to come. What should be encouraged among our MP’s is, I think as most rightly observed, not more numbers, but being answerable to the electorate, who must have the power to vote them out if they fail them.
This is wonderfull!the thing is that u cant false a horse to drink water of which it is not thirst,,,,& no one is being falsed to give a vote to any part,its only done by ourselves so its a free and fair election…vote for someone u’v seen can rule this country simple its your opinion!