Bill 10 Set To Return

The Constitutional Amendment Bill No.10 of 2019 is expected to return to Parliament once the National Assembly has resumed sitting. 

The update on the Bill was provided by the National Assembly ahead of the official opening of Parliament by President Edgar Lungu this Friday. 

The Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 has proved divisive. Championed by Government as a necessary measure to address lacunas in the existing Constitution, it has been virulently opposed by several opposition parties and civil society organisations. 

Among the most contentious and concerning provisions in the Bill are the re-introduction of deputy ministers, the permitting of ministers to stay in office during elections and scope for interference in the appointment of judges. All of which opposition and civil society claim are designed not to benefit the citizenry, but to strengthen the PF’s grip on power ahead of elections next year. 

Opponents, from the UPND and the NDC, to the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ), ActionAid and Linda Kasonde’s Chapter One, have objected to the Bill on the basis that it strengthens the existing powers of the executive and President to the detriment of Zambia’s democracy. 

The Bill also contains some worrisome provisions relating to Government’s economic and financial management, giving the President the power to contract debt without requiring parliamentary approval. This has served as another red flag ahead of elections. 

When Parliament adjourned sine die on July 21 following an outbreak of Covid-19 in the National Assembly the Bill’s opponents had hoped it would be the end to the matter. 

President Lungu is set to open the Fifth Session of the Twelfth National Assembly on Friday, September 11th. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic invitations to the opening are limited, with the majority of stakeholders and diplomats advised to watch the proceedings remotely.