Constitutional impasse is an electoral and political explosive about to explode – Grand Coalition tells Mansa

The Grand Coalition on Saturday told a prayer meeting in Mansa, Luapula province that the impasse created by the PF government on the Constitution is an electoral and political explosive about to explode.

Addressing the people who turned up for the prayer meeting at the Catholic Cathedral, Grand Coalition Spokesperson MacDonald Chipenzi said the Coalition is determined to smoke out the draft constitution from where it is being hidden.

Below is Chipenzi’s address in full:

Dear Compatriots,

This gathering gives me great pleasure because it symbolizes the importance the people of Mansa in particular and Luapula in general’s attachment to the constitution making process and in giving unto themselves a people driven constitution.

The Grand Coalition, which is combination of civil society, political parties, church and religious movement, labor and students is delighted that it is at last holding this prayer meeting in Mansa, Luapula Province. A lot was said about the political environment in Luapula and Mansa in particular among them most quoted in the media was that the people here are not interested in the constitution but development.
This gathering has proven the proponents of such theories wrong. Today, you go and preach this gospel of a new constitution. But why need this constitution?

1) A Constitution is a tool that will deliver genuine and inclusive development to all corners and citizens of our country. We do not need a good man for Luapula Province to develop; we need a good constitution for the prosperity of our province and the nation at large. You do not need anyone as an individual or as a Political Party to favour you for development but you need a constitution that favours the development of this province and its people.

2) The constitution making processes have been an economic and political burden to Zambia. For instance, the 2007-2011 NCC process, cost the country K135 billion while Technical Committee was allocated and used in excess of Kr115 million for drafting. An addition amount of K44.2 million in this year’s budget has been allocated for the preparatory work for the enactment of a new constitution. All these resources could be used for building roads, clinics, schools or indeed stock the hospitals with drugs and schools with textbooks. In simple language, we are deprived of development, specifically by the people who claim to be serious on delivery of development by prolonging in concluding this process. Even if such colossal sums of money have been rewarded to the friends and relatives of those in power, we demand the Final Draft constitution be delivered to you and me. We have paid sufficiently for the constitution, release it to the owners. Give us our Constitution.

3) It has now 50 years without a people-driven constitution and the PF while in opposition fought along aside civil society and the church for a new constitution containing the 50%+1, presidential running mate and appointment of ministers outside parliament and they promised to deliver a new constitution within 90 days of assuming office and save the billions lost in the process under the MMD regime. Alas, the new government has u-turned on almost all these commitments and the people taking up the responsibility to give to themselves their constitution.
Therefore, if we don’t get these new constitutions now the new person or political party comes into power, the country will again take us through the same process wasting more resources that could be used for other pressing needs.
Ladies and Gentlemen: The road to the enactment of a new people driven constitution has proven to be expensive, ragged and tedious but true soldiers never give up. It is always said that “the last mile in a long journey is always the longest” and that “fear defeat and not death”. Grand Coalition pledges its loyalty to the people of Zambia and ready to walk through this long journey no matter the obstacles on the way because it believes strongly that the constitution is for the people and not ONLY for politicians who come and go alone.

Fellow Compatriots:
To the PF government, we are reminding them that honoring your electoral promise is more honorable than pretending that you never promised. There is honor in honesty than deceit.

We want to also caution the government that the Constitutional impasse it has deliberately created in the country is an electoral and political explosive about to explode in their hands. Therefore, the earlier government hands over the document to the owners the better, if not, the Grand Coalition will use all means possible, civil and uncivilized, to smoke out the constitution from wherever it is being kept.

I therefore, wish to remind you that this is the sixth province that the Grand Coalition on the Campaign for a new people-driven Constitution has organised and successfully held prayers meetings demanding for government to immediately release the final draft constitution since the Technical Committee had completed its work and consequently dissolved officially in April, 2014. The Grand Coalition is yet to organise the same in North-Western Province, Western, Muchinga and Central provinces.

Many people are asking whether these prayers have yielded anything especially that government has remained adamant in releasing the document to the people. Assuredly, the prayers have achieved a lot among the achievements include: rising of public awareness, confusion in the governments circles laying bare their deceit on the process and we are yet to see more panic on the party of government once we roll-out our activities in the provinces and districts.

Let me congratulate the Catholic Church for being bold and resolute in accommodating such meetings at their premises despite intimidation, harassment and threats from the powers that be. You participants and other members of the grand coalition, I say bravo to you all for braving the hostile political atmosphere to come and be part of this historical event. The Grand Coalition is grateful of this sacrifice as it knows that this decision of allowing people gather at your premises alone does not come with ease as it annoys those in political power. But your user-friendliness and service to the people of Zambia will ever be cherished by the present and posterity.

Allow me to also share with that the Grand Coalition has developed minimum standards on the constitution which will guide us whether to accept or reject the final draft constitution and would urge all of you take keen interest to understand these basic minimums.

Finally, ladies and Gentlemen, the Grand Coalition is determined to keep constitution crusade on the national agenda throughout this electoral cycle and surely, will become an electoral campaign issue for the 2016 elections. The Coalition urges you to be resilient, brave and courageous. The days ahead may be more rough and intimidating but Dawn is just in the horizon and victory is at our doorsteps. We call on all Zambians across religious, tribal, regional, political and, economic and social divides to unite in demanding for the immediate release of the final draft constitution and enactment of a new people driven constitution before 2016 elections.

Zambians have waited for a new constitution for a long time and time to rescue it is now or never. The issue of funds is not convincing as government has failed to explain where it has taken the K44.2 million in this year’s estimates of expenditure. In this regard, the Grand Coalition urges all Zambians to rise up and be counted in this crusade. The constitutional ball is in our hands.

Lastly, therefore, you are requested to form Grand Coalition structures which will champion the constitutional crusade in the province. I am proud to announce that Eastern, Copperbelt and Southern have already constituted Grand Coalition teams to undertake constitution awareness activities.