New constitution flawed – VJ

VJ Mwaanga

Veteran politician Vernon Mwaanga has called for the urgent review of the newly amended constitution so that additional minimum amendments can be agreed and taken back to Parliament before it is dissolved.

Mwaanga argues that the new constitution lacks clarity on many issues and contains new provisions which are “problematic” and have not been clearly understood by majority Zambians including the enlightened ones.

He believes the country cannot go to the polls in August with all the “flaws” and “question marks” in the amended constitution.

In a statement made available to Zambian Eye, Mwaanga also contends that it is unrealistic to to put a grade 12 minimum requirement or its equivalent for Councillors.

“As we slowly, but surely move towards the August 11th general elections, many  Constitutional and Electoral issues  remain largely unclear. We have yet another amended constitution before us, which contains new provisions which are problematical and which a great majority of our citizens, even enlightened ones, still don’t clearly understand,” said Mwaanga. “What seems clear though is that there is an election date set in the amended constitution, which was assented to by President Lungu on 5th January and Gazetted on 8th January, 2016.”

On the grade 12 minimum requirement, the former diplomat said: “Was it really realistic to put a grade 12 minimum requirement or its equivalent for Local Councillors? I can think of remote parts of Zambia where people with this minimum qualification have left their villages to look for better opportunities in cities and towns, leaving only serving Public Officials as the only ones who would qualify – but who are now constitutionally disqualified from standing for these elections.

“Even some Members of Parliament who voted for this particular provision, without apparently reading or fully understanding it, are now crying wolf…! It is a sad reflection of our reading culture as a people, which appears to be on the decline, despite rising levels of education and literacy,” he added.

Mwaanga, commonly known as VJ, also sought clarity on the fate of current serving deputy ministers, considering that the position is not provided for in the new Constitution.

“There is no mention of deputy ministers in the amended constitution. If indeed the amended constitution has now kicked in, are there provisions whose implementation have been suspended or deferred? What are the present deputy ministers still doing in the government and on government payroll, when they no longer exist anywhere in the amended Constitution ? Is it really fair and realistic not have Deputy Ministers in any modern government and how is this omission going to be rectified if at all?” he wondered.

Mwaanga, who served in various portfolios under four different presidents in a political career that spanned nearly five decades, further bemoaned the discarding of the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) Representation clause, which he believes would have increased women representation in Parliament and local councils.

“The Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) Representation clauses which would have been dedicated to increasing women representation in Parliament and Local Councils were tragically dropped, making a mockery of our commitment to gender equality under both the SADC and AU statutes, to which our country has committed itself. Countries like Rwanda, which experienced genocide just over 20 years ago, now leads the whole world in gender equality, with South Africa not very far behind with 45% of women Parliamentarians out of a National Nssembly of 400. It now means that there are more female MP’s in South Africa than the total number of MP’s in Zambia as a whole!” he said.

“I would like to urge our Political leaders to meet urgently to address  these important issues, among others, so that additional minimum amendments can be agreed and taken back to Parliament before it is dissolved, in order for them to be attended to and pave the way for the General Elections of 11 August, 2016.”