Zambians’ve agreed, says Nalumango on Constitution

Zambians’ve agreed, says Nalumango on Constitution

By Thomas Ngala

VICE President Mutale Nalumango has maintained that Zambians have agreed to amend the Constitution before the next general elections are held next year.

During her question time in Parliament yesterday, Nalumango said whatever the New Dawn did was in the interest of Zambians.

Various stakeholders, including opposition political parties and the civil society have rejected attempts by the United Party for National Development (UPND) to amend parts of the Constitution before the elections citing lack of broad consultation and the short period remaining.

They have accused President Hakainde Hichilema of habouring intentions of removing the 50 percent and one vote requirement for a candidate to win a presidential election for his political survival.

But when asked which people had agreed with government to change the Constitution, she said, “Who is we? The Zambian people. It is true. We is we, the Zambian people. That includes the people of Mukaika.”

She regretted that anything that had politics attached to it became a little acrimonious.

“Sometimes even where there’s no need. This government is very clear that the purpose, this Executive is seating here, through the President, to serve the Zambian people. And therefore, whatever we do is done in the interest of the people. And definitely, the Executive is not the people; it is part of the people,” she said.

“But when we say we have agreed, that means we are looking only at those things the Zambian people have already spoken to. Nobody is going to introduce, for example, things from nowhere. The fear always is always that sometimes people, in the past, wanted things in the Constitution that favoured them.”

Nalumango said government already had what people had spoken about in terms of what they would love to see in the Constitution.

She assured citizens that nothing would selfishly be sneaked into the Constitution without their consent.

“This is not for this government. So, who are we? We are the people who participated in the Mvunga Commission. We are the people that participated in the Mwanakatwe Commission. We are the people that participated in the Mung’omba Commission, Mr Speaker, and Zambians, we should not always think expensive is the best,” she said. “We already have what people have spoken. And those are the only resources or the source of information that indeed should be looked at. Not to sneak in things.”

Nalumango said the presidential term would not be extended.

“Mr Speaker, people are even imagining 50 percent plus one vote. Fifty plus one percent is a principal thing that people cannot change because they just brought it in. What would be the purpose for that? To advantage ourselves? I believe not this government. People are bringing in issues of no, you want to increase the term of office, that is contentious. We have and some people here agreed that we will only look at the non-contentious issues,” she said.

“How can we take 50 plus one percent as non-contentious? Fifty plus one percent is contentious. You don’t touch that. Mr Speaker, we cannot change the term of office just like that. Even the people here can refuse. The process of the constitutional amendment has a period, if I am not mistaken… 30 days of everybody looking at that. So please, give yourselves a chance. This government is very sincere in constitution making… that the people of Mukaika have a part of it.”

She was responding to Mkaika Member of parliament Peter Phiri who wanted to find out “when the government says we have agreed to amend the Constitution. Now, the people of Mkaika and myself and my fellow MPs here have not agreed. So, I don’t know when you say we have agreed, with who have you agreed with?”

During his address to the youth in Mongu Wednesday at the Youth Day c commemoration, Hichilema said there was no need for people to protest because they had not even seen what was in the proposed amendments raising suspicion that government had already secretly drafted the proposed amendments without wide consultation.

On Thursday, State House chief communications specialist Clayson Hamasaka told Hot FM radio station there was already a draft whose full text was with the Ministry of Justice.

The plans by the UPND to amend the Constitution before the 2026 general elections mas met fierce opposition from various stakeholders who have advised government to wait until after the polls.