parliament_opening4 — File: Speaker of the National Assembly Amussa Mwanamwambwa ushers President Banda into the Parliament for the official opening

The fifth session of the Tenth National Assembly which adjourned sine die on 26th November, 2010 resumes sitting, Tuesday.

A tight agenda awaits the legislators as they start sitting tomorrow.

The house will start debating the constitution of Zambia bill 2010 and the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill 2010.

The National Constitution Conference -NCC-which was constituted under the NCC Act, handed over its draft constitution and report to Justice Minister, George Kunda who is also Vice President in August 2010.

Mr. Kunda announced in November last year that the process of enacting the new republican constitution had started, by publishing the proposed legislation in the government gazette.

Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga, Monday told ZNBC News that he is confident that the house will complete debating the constitution during the five weeks it will sit.

Mr. Mwaanga said this is because the house will be following recommendations of the NCC.

Meanwhile, the house will be without the input of former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti whose nomination was revoked on Saturday by President Banda.

Former Sport, Youth and Child Development Deputy Minister Maynard Misapa will also NOT be part of the parliamentary business after he voluntarily relinquished the Mporokoso seat to join the opposition Patriotic Front after being dismissed from his Ministerial position in December last year.

The house will also scrutinize Presidential appointments which have been put before parliament for ratification.

[ZNBC]

30 COMMENTS

Mbuzi February 21, 2011 At 7:47 pm

What next Mr President you sold Zamtel and now Libya is up in smoke ! What a let down .
Kapena February 21, 2011 At 7:56 pm

We need 50 plus 0ne please
mule February 21, 2011 At 8:00 pm

Is there need for further debate when the MMD agenda was already fulfilled?
Just pass it into law instead of wasting time and avoiding the accumulation per diems which seems to be the main attraction for the Zambian Parliamenterians. Conmen and women masquerading as Honourable people when in fact not. What a shame.

The revolution is coming, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, ………….where next?
Nation Builders February 21, 2011 At 8:14 pm

So when does the new constitution become law? Any time frame
Joe mbuzi February 21, 2011 At 8:20 pm

Parliament come up with some good.Look @ Libya.
kapata February 21, 2011 At 8:22 pm

This constitution is a waste of time and resources and will have to be re-done again.
Champ February 21, 2011 At 8:40 pm

This is pretty awful reporting of ZNBC to go to lengths to tell us who will NOT be sitting in on the debate yet fail to mention ANYTHING about the constitutional provisions being discussed. What kind of information service is this?
Mushota February 21, 2011 At 9:07 pm

Ok we care about this …..NOT!

I just had dinner, went to Rogano restaurant I was treated by my fiance

Its a bit embarrasing being the onky black person in the building, I felt special getting all the attention and the jealousness on some white women wondering why my fiance chose me and not them

Its amazing how beautisful my life is and how brilliant its turning out to be .

Thank you very much people on LT that have supported me all my years

Thanks
Barotse Loyalist February 21, 2011 At 9:18 pm

Whats the point of rushing the most important document of our land. Just dissolve parliament and revisit the debate in the next parliament. There’s the barotse issue to include as well as the 50 + 1. Total waste of time and resources.
Nation Builders February 21, 2011 At 9:38 pm

The barotse issue is dead in the water, the entire Zambia can not delay on the draft constitution any longer just to include the interests of a tribal group that make up less than 2% of the population. The BRE submitted their ideas and were rejected, its time to move on on that issue. No time to waste, any more delays is just a waste of time and resources. Everybody was given the chance to make submissions. Let us not start backpeddling on the constitution. go go forward.
nossles February 21, 2011 At 10:17 pm

Ka Mushota kanshi tawaupwa nokupwa ku scotland ulumbanya mwa! Ala leka kwebe ulikongwa actually akalishilu iwe fyonsefye ni show off, Abengi twaliba comfortable in the UK but tatuilumbanya ifya bushilu ngaiwe kaili limbi nokukupa taba kakupe u will be worse than the people at home ebo ukumbwisha ATASE ULI KA PUBA bushe waliya nakusukulu iwewine?
THE JACKAL February 21, 2011 At 10:36 pm

#10 NATION BUILDERS – choose your language kachikala this is not Libya. Zambia is a democracy that puts value on human life not on how many people a group represents. We can all get the point you are trying to make but you don’t have to sound disrespectful of other citizens wabechinyo! You must understand that what affects lozis affects at leats a third of other tribes through interconnections. Sometimes you should choose what you say not kulanyafye ifisushi all over!! You can respond to someone’s viewpoint without speaking like an arsehole…
Nation Builders February 21, 2011 At 10:50 pm

#12 Then you should lead by example. I know sometimes it is hard to accept facts, I understand your point of view. However, there is no time to waste,everybody in Zambia was given a chance to make submissions, that is a fact and that’s democracy at its very best. This Barotse issue does not affect all Lozis, it just affects those working for the BRE, in fact most Lozis now feel that the BRE does not act in their best interest and please don’t flatter yourself, no other groups are affected by the barotse issue just a few chaps in Limulunga, thats it. Go go forward, Zambia can not be held hostage by a few tribal fanatics, Fact!
mngelo February 21, 2011 At 11:01 pm

The fifth session of the Tenth National Assembly which adjourned sine die on 26th November, 2010 resumes sitting, Tuesday. Ba LT PLEASE CHECK YOUR ARTICLES FOR CHIZUNGU OTHERWISE advertise for editor’s Job now.
What did the 3000 chickens sayefore they ran away at night? February 21, 2011 At 11:27 pm

What a joke of a constitution that no one adheres to
The Sentinel February 22, 2011 At 12:36 am

If you intend to influence the contents of the constitutional amendments as submitted by the NCC, please lobby your MPs; just mouthing off or going to tabloids or issuing cards of a certain colour will not do. That is democracy. Whatever their caliber, those chaps (MPs) sitting in the august house have the future of the nation in their hands. Round on them now. I’d expect NGOs to be rallying in now, but they are busy rooting for their partisan agendas.
UBUNTU February 22, 2011 At 1:47 am

I hope some MPs wont be sleeping this time especially long****** .Please mr speaker reduce on tea and other snacks so that MPs can concetrate on debates not food.
Lya pansaka February 22, 2011 At 1:53 am

#11
why are you so hurt by Mushotas’ comment? She is lost in her own world.Get lost in yours too.
Kabwata Dick ZoZo February 22, 2011 At 4:04 am

Its time we installed a much younger speaker of the national assembly? we do not want another Nabulayato saga….die in office…? african leaders……until death do us part?
Andy February 22, 2011 At 4:26 am

Guys find me on fb under the group name STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR ZAMBIA join in and lets have a discussion about the problems our country is undergoing and what you and I can do about it.

I think its time for the youth to stand up and speak our minds without fear of oppression
Takuli atshani February 22, 2011 At 6:46 am

Cant find the right forum to discuss this. Now that Libya is burning up and Islamic fundumentalist seems to take over, what do we do with Zamtel?
mukabe February 22, 2011 At 6:55 am

VJ, do not think we can be fooled please. We shall and cannot accept this hell of an MMD document to be a Constitution of Zambia, probably fit to be used as tissue.

We will enact our own consititution to be based on the recommendations by Mungomba with that process starting as soon as the PF/UPND Pact takes over government.
BAROTSE AMRY February 22, 2011 At 8:50 am

Am back….no comment for now……….!!!!!
zosa February 22, 2011 At 9:33 am

The 50+1 bill is anon-starter and it wont work and will a waste of tax payers’ money because there will re-runs. It will be a circus for mother Zambia. Let us be real.
shimaini February 22, 2011 At 2:43 pm

nothing will come out of these useless money making sessions. its a waste of time and money . these *****s called MMD missed an opportunity to give us a good constitution that would last. we deserve better as a nation……
jackal February 22, 2011 At 3:38 pm

50+1 should be amongst what you will debate..we need serious talks…
Livingstone February 22, 2011 At 3:45 pm

# 8, you have always been about your white boy friend now a fiance.i wish you a good luck friend……whats your comment on this fact that the house will be setting…..

GRZ has implemented into law so no wasting time again
Liv February 22, 2011 At 3:50 pm

# 8 congrats that you are still with the same white boy now your fiance.

why waste so much time because all has been amended and put into law………
Afromode February 22, 2011 At 4:22 pm

Only in Zambia can you have a self-confessed drug trafficker as Parliamentary Chief Whip. What a bloody disgrace. And everyone is carrying on as though that’s normal. ONLY IN ZAMBIA
The Critique February 22, 2011 At 5:53 pm

#13, the truth is that Zambians spoke about what they expect in the new constitution, but a few chaps rejected our submission of the 50 + 1%. This has been the cry of the people from both Mwanakatwe & Mungómba teams. Who is a politician to determine what will be considered a waste of resources. We are taxed, so we should see this money being put to good use!