Tread carefully, LAZ warns UPND
By Thomas Ngala
THERE can be no credible constitutional reform without genuine broad-based stakeholder engagement and consensus not only on the substance but also the process, the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has said.
In a statement issued yesterday, LAZ president Lungisani Zulu said as noble as the motivation and substance of such proposed reforms might be, which reportedly included the need for proportional representation to have more women, youths and the disabled in key governance institutions, elimination of by-elections and the need to delimitate constituencies to enhance service delivery to the citizens, government should tread carefully with the proposed constitutional reform agenda, if success was to be assured and the country was t reap maximum benefit from it.
Zulu said constitutional reform was by its very nature a taxing exercise, both in expense and time, and required a broad-based stakeholder engagement and consensus not only on the substance, but also the process of any proposed reform.
“In constitution making, the process of how the constitution is developed and adopted is as crucial as the substance of the document itself, ensuring legitimacy, inclusivity and ultimately a more durable and acceptable outcome,” he said.
“The Constitution, being the supreme law of the land, is a people’s document and their participation in its making and amending is therefore critical to give meaning to their true aspirations and desires of governance matters. Additionally, any proposed constitutional amendment and reform must not be piecemeal, but ensure that all topical areas such as expanding the bill of rights to include economic and social rights are not left behind.”
He said LAZ was aware that the government was yet to share its proposed road map and the proposed draft Constitution Amendment Bill with stakeholders to ensure healthy national debate.
Zulu was, however, worried about the dangers of timing constitution making process close to the electoral cycle.
He appealed to government to ensure any amendments were initiated outside the electoral cycle.
