The Civil Society Constitution Agenda says it found President Edgar Lungu’s remarks regarding Bill 10 during his address to Parliament on progress made in the application of the national values and principles to be misleading to the general public.
CiSCA Chairperson Bishop John Mambo says the President’s remarks were biased toward the perceived positives of Bill 10, completely ignoring all contentious negatives of it which CiSCA shall now endeavour to remind the President and the general public.
Bishop Mambo said the President was not truthful when he stated that political players want to see an extension to the period of presidential petition from 14 days to 30 days saying the issue was never the time period allowed for presidential petition but the interpretation of the 14 days provided.
“That is, if the 14 days provided included weekends. However, this debate on interpretation was resolved when the Constitutional Court ruled that the 14 days provided for presidential petition included weekends as well. Therefore, we wonder which political players the President was referring too, who want to see an extension to the period of presidential petition?”, he said.
Bishop Mambo also said that the President further stated that Bill 10 would secure and protect the Christian nation identity which the current Constitution preamble already states that Zambia is a Christian nation.
He said the inclusion of Zambia’s Christianity would make it difficult for the courts of law to interpret and execute the law because Christian interpretation of the Bible differs from one church denomination to the other.
Bishop Mambo said therefore, interpretation of the law should not be guided by Christian laws and morals. Which Christian principle would be used and what happens to none Christians?
“The President alleged that Bill 10 would enhance the separation of powers. However, contrary to the Presidents assertion, Bill 10 will move power from the Legislature and Judiciary into the hands of the Executive”, he added.
Bishop Mambo said Bill 10 will take away oversight that Parliament has on debt contraction as well as approval of international treaties and hand it to the office of the President.
He said Bill 10 will also take away power of the Legislature to delimit Provinces and Districts and give it to the President, remove the Constitution Court from the process of ratification of Presidential appointments in the event that Parliament reject his appointment for a third (3rd) time.
Bishop Mambo explained that currently, when Parliament rejects the Presidents appointment for a 3rd time, the case is taken to the Constitution Court for final ruling, however, with Bill 10, once Parliament rejects the Presidents appointment two (2) times, his 3rd appointment will be final and valid regardless of whether Parliament agrees with it or not.
“The President stated that Bill 10 will clear and bury all legal lacunae and inconsistencies found in our current Constitution. However, we are of the view that Bill 10 in its current form only creates a Constitution crisis and adds more lacunae. It proposes adoption of a coalition government in a presidential system; coalition government does not work in a presidential system. If Bill 10 is to cure lacunae why is it proposing the reintroduction of things initially not in the 2016 Constitution, such as, Deputy Ministers?”, Bishop Mambo said.
He said President Lungu only talked about the alleged good things and deliberately ignored all contentious issues, some of which have been raised in this statement.
Bishop Mambo has since encouraged President Lungu to do right by the people of Zambia and withdraw Bill 10.
Those ruling want to dribble the nation ad all favours them. They hv forgotten the poor.
Very true! This is a Bill that gives the poor NOTHING! It’s all about PF Survival to continue enjoying what some MMD cadre has called “The PF Sweet!” And they have played their cards very well by hiding their real intentions behind what they are calling good clauses, Poison! Never before have we had such treacherous politicians like we have in the post-sata PF! Zambia does not have a Constitutional crisis! While we busy wasting time on a mischievous Bill10, the Kwacha today is a Sweet Sixteen and growing! What Zambia has is an Economic Crisis! After failing to pay workers’, we’ll soon fail to pay our debts!
Compatriots, Bill 10 is not progressive, but retrogressive.
Lets take time to reas it and we will clearly see that its main thrust is to give the executive excessive power. Already the executive has too much power. And now they want more in order to perpetuate the stay of Mr. Lungu in statehouse. Only those that stand to benefit financially by lungu’s stay are defending this bill.
A good constitution and a respect for the rule of law is the foundation for good governance. Just look at USA. They can afford to have a mad man like trump because his madness is checked by a strong judiciary and legislature. He cant even declare war without approval of the Senate.
But in Zambia we see the law being broken at will and the judiciary is too compromised to do anything.
If we love Zambia then…
You will never see him good at all.Whatever the president can utter good or bad to you and clan it’s worse.Bill 10 is nothing but change your ugly attitude you harbor for him.
You bitter soul.
Respect for the rule of law and a good constitution,where there’s respect for the separation of power…are the foundation of good governance.
Look at UK and USA their constitutions are clear and straight forward…they don’t propose bills like Bill 10 that gives excessive power to the Executive.
The executive needs to be checked by the legislature and we need an independent judiciary, if we are to develop our democracy and move forward.
It is clear that the BISHOP does not understand what bill 10 is . Please ba BISHOP take time to have a one on one discussion with the lawyer MAKEBI ZULU. I have followed his explainations of the contents of bill 10 . He explains very well unlike these others who are just talking from without. I am sure Sir after that discussion with Mr. Zulu you will stop spreading the falsehood you are propagating now.
This Constitutional making process is absurd!
How could we allow Government workers re Politicians and Civil Servants to formulate their own Conditions of Service and Employment, let alone describe and prescribe Our Rights and Duties in this Land?. The Constitution as a Government Charter must be Drawn by the Owners of State and Government, the People of Zambia, before it is handed down and over to the Government Workers, namely the Executives, Legislature, and the Judiciary, to Administer, Implement, and Feedback on Our behalf
If the Politicians- in- Charge are unhappy or uncomfortable with the desires of the People, let them go, fall out! Many other people are there and willing to Serve the People. Zambia is not short of manpower! After all, we Pay them for their Service and,…
There we go another dictator.
After Vladimir Putin announced sweeping constitutional changes in a surprise move this January, the Kremlin mandarins in charge of drawing them up flatly denied Russia’s president was planning to find a way around his term limits.
“You and I don’t know what we’re going to do tomorrow and we’re trying to guess what Putin’s going to do in 2024. It’s ridiculous,” Andrei Klishas, co-chair of Mr Putin’s hastily assembled constitutional commission, told the Financial Times in an interview last week.
On Tuesday, Mr Putin signalled his assent for just that — backing an amendment that would discount the 20 years he had already served and reset the clock after his fourth term expires in 2024. This would potentially allow him two more terms and extend his rule until…
This man is a bonehead. Why didn’t he bring up these issues at the NDF or the Select Committee of Parliament?? He thinks crying for sympathy in the media and court of public opinion will change things. Mwakota no kukota, yama, amano yaamba ukuchepa. Abasungu batili-senile ((of a person) having or showing the weaknesses or diseases of old age, especially a loss of mental faculties.)
“President Lungu’s remoarks on Bill Number 10 misleading-Bishop John Mambo”
“Remoarks” , Lusaka Times, do you proofreed your news item? How do you get even the Title wrong? This is akin to a pupil who fails to solve an example that was solved by the teacher then added with new questions, ‘Kutobela kumo na example’. (For give my Bemba, it is terrible.