Justice Minister Given Lubinda has accused Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema and other Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs) of fighting what he described as progressive Bill without any precise cause.
Speaking when he featured on MUVI Television’s Blunt talk Program. Mr. Lubinda said that he remained optimistic that the Constitution Amendment Bill 10 of 2020 will pass the second reading stage as it returns to Parliament, despite Hakainde’s opposition, adding that, in its current form, he saw no reason why anyone will fight the Bill which protects young people and those living with disabilities among others.
Hon. Lubinda said despite Hakainde and other NGO’s decision to fight the progressive piece of legislation, he was confident about UPND MPs who strongly disagreed with his stubborn decision on the Bill.
“UPND leader has been championing the calls of the collapse of Bill 10, for three years, have you heard FDD opposing the process? Today it has been laid bare their leader of the opposition said go and oppose it so what more evidence do you want?
“The Constitution of Zambia is more important than the Constitution of any political party. What I am expecting is that Members of the Patriotic Front will debate Bill 10 with their conscience and not that they have been told to debate in any fashion that is what I expect.
Mr. Lubinda said that he will be extremely shocked if UPND MPs rubbished everything in the bill.
Mr. Lubinda also said that Zambians should understand that they have a democratic and consultative President who ensured that the entire process was inclusive.
“People should start saying they truly have a democratic and consultative President because much as Article 39 allows us to just move, present the Bill in the Gazette and go to Parliament and Amend the Constitution we chose to a different route we chose the route of consultation.” He added.
He further called on Parliamentarians to back the Bill saying if they didn’t do so, it was the Zambians who were doing to lose out as they did on the referendum.
“If Bill 10 doesn’t go through it will be sad for the people of Zambia, exactly what happened when the referendum failed. The ones who suffered were the Zambian People.
We lost the referendum, one of the provisions in that referendum was that no expectant of lactating mothers shall be put in incarceration. Today you find circumstantial children in correctional facilities, who caused that? Those who campaigned against the referendum.” Hon. Lubinda stated.
The Minister further took time to clarify falsehoods peddled by Hichiliema that the Bill was aimed at extending President Lungu’s tenure of office.
“UPND and Some NGO, have been misleading people, telling people that President Edgar Lungu Wants to extend his tenure of office from 5-7 years … where is it stated? Nowhere at all .” The Minister reiterated.
Can you spare us your lies Zayelo!
We know him, he has never said yes to anything in his entire life!! We are not surprised one!!!
Did lubinda explain why PF is rushing the bill? Busy rushing the bill yet they don’t rush to repair the stupid economy. Now when I think about it I ask how did PF win the 2016 elections yet lost the referendum. I expect that the votes would have followed the same pattern.
It is because PF did not win the 2016 elections. All their energies went to rigging the election they did not have time to rig the referendum vote.
Your memory my brother is short,the leader of oposition in parliament hon.Jack Mwiimbu raised a private member motion in parliament in 2016,that the current constitution is flawed and need attention now before 2021 general elections.Today you are saying its being rushed,let us be honest for once.
It is very shameful even to the NGO’s supporting the flop of Bill-10, like what the minister as alluded to,they cheated us on referendum and they want to do it again on Bill-10.What is there agenda? are they here just to oppose even when something is good, no wonder they cant even offer any solution to any challenge the country is facing.This party is very stubborn, selfish, an patriotic and not Zambian.Bill-10 will pull through like or not.
Let them fight it, where in the world have seen a constitution being amended every time there is an election. People commended you when you introduced a 50 + 1 clause, but why are you in a hurry to remove it? Hence HH and NGOs are justified in what they are advocating for. Bring back 60 Deputy Ministers back into Government, when majority of Zambians are failing to have 3 square meals a day. You would do well to dwell more on reducing high levels of inflation, interest rates and the general standard of living by which many people are failing to make ends meet. VIVA HH, VIVA UPND & VIVA NGOs.
Ask upnd what they think is the best alternative bill to bill 10 .. ndweeeeeeee quiet. They have no grey matter in the head. They have no solutions and only know to criticise. They have no idea what it means to be in opposition
Shut your big round fat thievery face…You are all thieves your time will come soon.
PF scam bag.
There are far more urgent issues in the nation than bill 10. Since it is such a contentious issue, pf would shelve it until there is meaningful engagement with ALL stakeholders, and not just the likes of ntewewe who is a hungry man that will sell the nation for a meal.
But the fact that pf are in such a rush demonstrates that they have bad motives. The fact that they are desperate to pass it before the 2021 elections shows their intent.
But more importantly some of us have read the bill and we have seen a number of clauses that are primarily meant to prolong Lungu’s stay and further compromise the judiciary and emaciate the legislature of its powers and concentrate it in the prrsident.
continued….this is extremely dangerous. Especially considering that we have an extremly weak president with no integrity, courage, morality or vision, and he is surrounded by vicious, corrupt self seeking “advisors”, ministers and cadres. The rule of law will completely break down. I mean look at that man lusambo ordering the arrest of people buying mealie meal. Those are the people that control lungu, via bootlicking. You have others that are violent thugs that brandish and discharge firearms and assault people. If things are that bad now, imagine how it will be when more power is given to lungu. We will have a weak dictator controlled by hyenas. Atleast Rwanda has a brilliant dictator with vision and full of action. We will end up with a visionless weakling surrounded by greedy,…
LUBINDA,WHAT IS THE RUSH FOR WHEN WE HAVE ALOT OF SERIOUS ISSUES? ANYONE,CAN SMELL A RAT WITH SUCH KIND OF DESPERATION.
I would suggest and insist that we get on with more serious issues like finding ways and means of arresting the free-falling Kwacha,(which surprisingly enough is depreciating faster than currencies for countries severely hit by corona virus), lack of employment, scarcity and high prices of mealie mealie, high zesco bills, poor quality of roads which is resulting in high accidents and wash-aways, unprecedented levels of corruption in the country than this Bill 10 issue. By the way, what is the story on the mukula logs impounded in Malaysia? Please may someone raise this issue in parliament. May we also know if price controls on mealie meal are back. Lubinda just be informed that Zambia will not break without Bill 10. Do not be so devious bro. Take it easy. Very soon u will be shouting that…
The biggest bank note in the land (K100), cant get you the most essential commodity( mealie meal) in the country, how about cause to reduce the cost of mealie meal sir?
Why President Lungu’s threats to the judiciary mark a new phase in Zambia’s slide to authoritarianism.
President Edgar Lungu has warned the Constitutional Court of its impending decision on his eligibility to run in 2021. Credit: Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
President Edgar Lungu has warned the Constitutional Court over its impending decision on his eligibility to run in 2021. Credit: Edgar Chagwa Lungu.
When Kenya’s Supreme Court judges annulled the results of the country’s presidential election this September, they attracted plaudits from across Africa for acting independently and for refusing to bow before presidential power. But Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu was not among their admirers. Instead, on 2 November, he issued a stern warning to Zambia’s own judges not to follow the example of…
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… Zambia’s own judges not to follow the example of their Kenyan counterparts. “Do not become a copycat and think that you are a hero if you plunge this country into chaos,” he warned.
These comments were directed at Zambia’s Constitutional Court (ConCourt), which is currently considering a case to determine whether the president is eligible to run for another term in office in 2021. Lungu was first elected in the 2015 presidential by-election following Michael Sata’s untimely death in office. He was then re-elected in the controversial August 2016 polls. The Constitution contains a clear two-term limit for the presidency, but Lungu’s supporters argue that his first term of just 18 months should not count towards this total.
This January, Lungu himself declared that he is…
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… This January, Lungu himself declared that he is eligible to stand in 2021 elections and challenged opposing voices to seek the interpretation of the ConCourt. A few days later, four small opposition parties did just that, petitioning the court for “a declaration that President Edgar Lungu is eligible to contest the 2021 Presidential election”. In response, the influential Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) and the main opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), who argue that the opposition parties were proxies of Lungu, joined the case seeking a counter-declaration. The case comes up for hearing on 15 November.
To avoid misinterpreting what Lungu said, it is worth quoting his remarks at length:
“People are saying Zambian courts should be like Kenyan courts,…
Well mr lubinda are you not content with the organizations and other political parties that you have on board? Who stands to benefit from the changes proposed in bill 10? Certainly not those who are fighting against it, if so why are PF pushing for this agenda by saying the changes in the constitution will benefit the opposition if most of the opposition are fighting it? How can people fight something that they know will benefit them?. One thing PF needs to understand is that they can’t force what is rejected on the people who have rejected it, this is the same as forcing people to drink water that they know is contaminated, purify the water and the people will gladly drink it.
“Moving each step in the right direction is more important than speed” The chorus of HH has destroyed the economy, HH is opposing Bill 10, HH is creating corruption, HH is creating shortage of meal millie, HH is associated with gassing Zambians, HH is holding the nation to ransom…etc.
Zambians are not fools, “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s truth”, speak truth Zambians again are not fools.
Trust PF at your own peril. Even if they want to do the right thing they do it incorrectly. Why do you think we are still amending the Constitution up to now? You can rest assured that in the event of PF successfully passing Bill 10, it shall still contain lacunas. PF simply has no reading culture even to spot simple mistakes. Anyway in this case PF just has an agenda, watch them. I woukd rather wait for the Third Force to come in 2021 to sort out this constitution once and for all.