THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) yesterday rejected a clause that could have allowed political parties to merge, saying the exercise would be costly because of by-elections.
Debating article 162 which said Members of Parliament whose parties merged should not lose their seats, most delegates said that a merger amounted to dissolution of parties and such MPs should seek a fresh mandate.
Namwala MP Robbie Chizyuka said the article to allow for political party mergers should be dropped because it would be costly for Government to hold by-elections for 100 MPs.
Bishop Harrison Sakala said the merging of political parties should be avoided unless coalitions while deputy chairperson of parliamentary committees Mkhondo Lungu said that although merging before elections was good, merging just after elections was costly.
Chifunabuli MP Ernest Mwansa said in case of a merger, MPs should have an option of joining the merger or remain as MP for their constituencies and lawyer Patrick Matibini also said MPs should remain as independent in case of a merger.
Vice-President George Kunda said the norm in Zambia was such that those who joined a merger should lose their seat while UPND vice-president Richard Kapita also said no MP should keep a seat when they changed or rejected their parties.
Pastor Godfridah Sumaili said that it was in order that MPs lost their seats in case of a merger while Chieftainess Nkomeshya said the clause to allow merging of parties should be dropped but another delegate Dan Musenge said mergers should be allowed because of the right to association.
Southern Province Minister Daniel Munkombwe said the article to allow for political party mergers would weaken the stable political system while Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti said MPs would be endangered if mergers were allowed.
The NCC also adopted article 99 (1) which states that a general election would be held every five years on the last Wednesday of September after the last general elections.
Meanwhile, the NCC yesterday adjourned sine die to facilitate for the sitting of the National Assembly which resumes on Tuesday.
NCC chairperson Chifumu Banda told the conference that yesterday’s sitting was the end of the session and that the House would adjourn sine die.
Mr Banda said while it was true that the NCC had not concluded all matters, it should be acknowledged that it had made several achievements in debating various committee reports.
The NCC had considered the legislative, executive, local government and democratic governance committee reports while three quarters of the human rights report had been covered leaving the general constitutional principles report to be tabled later.
“We intend to call the House in April. You know we cannot sit when Parliament is in session,” he said.
He said that after concluding all committee reports the NCC would prepare a draft report and Constitutional bill, adopt them and publish them for the public to make comments.
After that public comments would be considered and then the conference would present its draft Constitution to the minister of Justice for onward considerations.
[Times of Zambia]
everything is targeted at Sata, the PACT and HH. when are gonna make a constituion based on value s and not personalities?
There is no problem with Hakasata issue. Upnd and PF will be separate and won’t merge but at the end of the day will have one candidate for president and then they will share positions in govt MMD wapwalala kuyabebele.
😮 :”> :(( this is the NCC for MMD, not for zambians. They are not serving Zambians interestings, but those of the MMD.. what a shear waste of money… Zambian Army where are you? emulate your friends in Niger..
# 3 you are out of order, all we need is to wait for 12 months and the MMD will be gone.
This would laughable if it wasn’t serious business. MP’s do not really do a whole lot; a lot of these people are at Manda Hill with the hope of getting a Cabinet/Government jobs. I suggest they scrap all elective positions at MP and local government levels ( imagine how much money they could save) and just have one election to elect the president who would in turn appoint MP’s and councillors. That way, if one of these fellas succumbs to some disease or a traffic accident, the president can just appoint a replacement without going through this farce they call elections. By doing it this way, it would save some money and cut out the time lost to politicking trying to convince people that the country is democratic when in deed it is not.
# 5 Wisi Boyi, i gat your point, however would you please also highlight the criteria that the would be president might use in order to appoint competent people and to avoid appointments based on regional politics if what you have just suggested is adopted?
2011 is just 10 months from now and if the NCC is not seeing that, Zambia will end up going to next elections without new constitution in place and the next president after MMD will throw their NCC delibarations through the window, and come up with his own constitution and that would be serious waste of resources.
Can you guys sitting on NCC speed up the process, and save the people of Zambia from your unthinkable selfishness of sitting idle and getting huge allowances?
I bet my wife, the NCC will not present a completed constitution and have it adopted before the 2011 elections.
Actually, Banda will cut this process short by calling for early elections!
Chipuba ngako!