UPND snubs Constitution-making as reforms do not help Hichilema – YALI

The United Party for National Development (UPND) does not support the Constitution-making process because it does not help Mr. Hichilema, the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has charged.

Speaking at Alitasha Lodge during a media briefing in Kasama, YALI President Andrew Ntewewe said YALI is not surprised by the UPND to frustrate the reform process because there has never been a time the UPND have supported such a process as long as it does not give Mr. Hakainde Hichilema an easy leeway to step into power.

Mr. Ntewewe has said the Constitution of Zambia does not belong to the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) nor the UPND but belongs to residents who live in different parts of Luapula, Northern, Copperbelt and the entire country who have said they want to see this Bill thoroughly debated by their representatives in Parliament.

“MPs are the only legitimate representatives of the people and not these forum of NGOs or Council of NGO who speak for their sponsors. Article 62 clause 2 of the Constitution which states that ‘the legislative authority of the Republic is vested in and exercised by Parliament,’” said Ntewewe

Mr. Ntewewe said the only form of dialogue is Parliament as a place where divergent views and ideas will converge for purposes of consensus building. He said the people’s legitimate representatives will ultimately decide and those who do not want to support this process are enemies of democracy and anarchists.

And in responding to the rejection by LAZ to participate in the parliamentary process, Mr. Ntewewe reminded the lawyers that Zambian have given the National Assembly unfettered powers and exclusive rights to alter the Constitution of Zambia which include the power to amend, modify any provision of our constitution and re-enact the Constitution with or without amendment or modification.

“Our MPs can also suspend or repeal provision of the Constitution by making different provision in place of such provisions. The power of Parliament over our Constitution is extensive to include adding new provisions to the Zambian Constitution. Parliament does not need LAZ or a few loudmouths who have continued to boycott from being consulted to perform its function to alter the Constitution,” said Ntewewe.

He said while LAZ and its new allies seem to be arguing about the process to amend the constitution based on the history of other processes in countries like India, Canada and South Africa, the Zambian courts have categorically that ‘the history of the Constitutions of Zambia from 1964 to date is different from that of the Indian formula which specifically provides for a Constituent Assembly and that the powers, jurisdiction and competence of Parliament to alter the Constitution of Zambia are extensive provided that it adheres to the provisions of Article 79.

“The democracy we have chosen as a country demands that all voices have must be heard on the constitution reform process and there is no any single voice which is superior to the other. We remind Mr. Hichilema that the Constitution of Zambia is bigger than Mr. Hichilema, his egoistic interests and his insatiable lust for power,” he said.