‘Let’s stop HH’s nonsense on Bill 7, now’
By Tony Nkhoma
WE HAVE limited time to stop President Hakainde Hichilema’s nonsense concerning the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill 2025, former Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Linda Kasonde has reminded Zambians.
Kasonde said Zambians should rise now and rebuke Hichilema’s Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 like they did to Fredrick Chiluba’s third term bid.
“Fight Mr Hakainde and the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2025 like Fredrick Chiluba’s third bid. Nothing in those commissions’ reports that has come into Bill 7 makes sense. So where is the legitimacy of these changes? So just to say to the people of Zambia, please rise up and oppose this because it is not for our benefit,” Kasonde said.
Kasonde said Hichilema and the United Party for National Development (UPND) should not be allowed to decide on their own.
“Because of their selfish motives, Mr Hichilema and the UPND have total disregard of the huge cost amidst the country’s harsh economic crisis that will go towards paying the emoluments of the high numbers of the proposed members of Parliament,” she said.
Kasonde said even if it was pretence, the Patriotic Front (PF) tried to engage citizens in the infamous Bill 10, unlike the current Bill 7 which she described as frightening.
“There was that national dialogue forum where, you know, a broader section of the population was consulted. And, you know, and then previously we had the national Constitution,” Kasonde said.
Speaking in Lusaka, Kasonde strongly questioned Mr Hichilema and the UPND’s motives on why they were rushing the constitutional amendment process.
“We can’t decide on our own. We need to consult the people of Zambia. And I don’t think this government is any exception. Why should they think that they can pass these things without talking to us? You know, these are questions we should be asking ourselves,” Kasonde said.
She cited the United States of America which has a population of over 340 million but only has 535 representatives in Congress and questioned why the UPND were ignoring the cost implication.
She wondered why Zambia which only has 20 million people should have 246 MPs.
