Lusaka, Zambia – President Hakainde Hichilema has moved to allay public concerns about the government’s proposed constitutional amendments, assuring Zambians that the changes are being made in good faith to strengthen governance, not to create division.
Speaking during a high-level engagement with the House of Chiefs at State House yesterday, the President emphasized that the delimitation process and other proposed amendments should not be politicized or seen as sources of conflict.
“Let me be clear – these reforms come with no malice or hidden agenda,” President Hichilema stated. “Delimitation is long overdue and essential for ensuring equitable development across all regions of our nation.”
The Head of State revealed that Zambia has failed to conduct constitutionally mandated delimitation for over a decade, creating imbalances in resource distribution and political representation. He stressed that the current exercise aims to correct these historical disparities.
On the contentious issue of nominated Members of Parliament, President Hichilema provided new details, confirming the government would introduce percentage-based caps to ensure fairness in the nomination process.
The meeting saw robust discussions between the executive and traditional leaders, with House of Chiefs Chairperson Chief Choongo of Monze District confirming their active engagement with the reform process.
“We have studied the proposals carefully and will be making comprehensive written submissions to guide the amendment process,” Chief Choongo announced, underscoring the critical role of traditional leaders in constitutional matters.
The President’s assurances come amid growing public debate about the reforms, with some opposition groups expressing concerns about potential gerrymandering. Government officials maintain the changes will enhance democratic representation when implemented.
Political analysts suggest the inclusion of traditional leaders in the consultative process lends credibility to the reforms, though they caution that transparency in the delimitation exercise will be crucial to maintaining public trust.
The constitutional amendment bill is expected to be presented to Parliament in the coming weeks, following completion of the ongoing nationwide consultations.
Delimitation belongs with the ECZ, not the presidency. This is what is causing suspicion among the public. The whole exercise is just a poisoned chalice and should be shelved until after the elections. Presidential advisors are clearly failing the president!
This great constitutional amendment proposal should not leave out the appointing of ministers outside Parliament. It’s an absolute need that we take advantage of the delimitation message. It’s necessary for efficiency and to position the country for better greater development. There’s no objective reason to have this status quo to continue in this era
The idea is to change the parliamentary composition now, in his term they will say he has performed very well, let him go for a third term and there will be a parliament to endorse that. Changing the constitution after elections would not be too late for that plan
Why is he so determined to ” amend” the constitution? The man is up to some evil mischief.
Economy is on its knees but ali nu ku constitution
If you believe that HH has the interests of the nation as a priority in anything that he does, you are truly blind.
The fact that he gave up our country’s stake in Kansanshi Mine, the most profitable mine in the country, for virtually nothing, tells you everything you need to know about his agenda.
The fact that he can tell the law enforcement agencies to “work quietly” and not expose corruption in his government tells you even more.
The fact that gold is leaving the country by the bucketload illegally and with no benefit to the locals tells another story.
Bottomline; You CANNOT TRUST HH
That is not important you
As we ammend the constitution, lets inclkude this clause ” We the people of Zambia agree that no politician should evacuated outside the country to seek medical attention as we have adequate facilities in the country to provide the necessary care for all. We further agree that Govt should priotise equipping medical facilities with modern technology to treat scan, diagnose all ailments, capacity staff to meet the challenges and if a politician has to be evacuated, they have to meet the costs on their own” We cant leave out such important inclusions to the constitution and allow being neglected and exploited by greedy leaders who would have changed the outlook of our country.