By CLAVER MUTINTA
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott says members of Parliament should not misunderstand President Sata’s statement on the constitution-making process and assured that the process remains people-driven.
Speaking during the Vice-President’s question time in Parliament yesterday, Dr Scott said that President Sata merely stated that there is no vacuum in the current constitution and Government did not say it would not go ahead with the new law.
The Vice-President was responding to a question raised by Liuwa member of Parliament (MP) Situmbeko Musokotwane (MMD) who wanted to know whether Government was more important than people of Zambia in the constitution-making process.
“We need not to worry about the new constitution. He [President Sata] merely pointed out that there is no vacuum that we are filling with the whole new constitution. If you want to change the constitution you bring amendments.
“If you are interested in the 50 [percent] plus-one vote, bring it to the House or something like that. He has not said that we are not going ahead with the constitution,” he said.
Dr Scott said the constitution-making process has been deliberately misconstrued by the opposition political parties and they are not willing to cooperate with the government.
“They are looking for zero cooperation from us,” Dr Scott said.
He said Government is not disputing the draft constitution but that it is waiting for it to be delivered so that the way forward can be found.
“We are waiting for this report on constitution to be delivered before we can proceed any farther. We are not disputing that it is people-driven. We are just waiting to see it so that we can proceed with it,” he said.
The Vice-President was responding to Kabompo West MP Ambrose Lufuma (UPND) who wanted to how far the constitutional-making process has gone.
He said Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba has also given direction on the matter in his ministerial statement.
Speaker of National of Assembly Patrick Matibini also advised the MPs to desist from asking question on constitution-making process because Dr Scott and Mr Kabimba have ably explained the issue to the House.
Meanwhile, Dr Matibini has told Parliament that he has received two formal complaints on the conduct of some members of Parliament who sit in the privileges committee and participated in the protest yesterday.
He said the complaints were being dealt with through the laid down procedure at the National Assembly.
Dr Matimbi made a ruling in a point of order raised by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Stephen Kampyongo who wanted to know whether members of the privileges committee were in order to participate in unruly behaviour in Parliament on Thursday.
In his ruling Dr Matibini said: “I have since received two formal complaints. In due course, we shall employ our structures. I am mindful about challenges that will come in the process. We will still allow this matter to be formally processed and be dealt with accordingly.”
Mr Kampyongo said the events of Wednesday and Thursday when some opposition MPs disrupted debate, were unprecedented.
Meanwhile, YANDE SYAMPEYO and CAROLINE KALOMBE report that the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has implored Government to take swift action on enacting a new constitution.
LAZ president James Banda said the association supports the demands by opposition members of Parliament (MPs) for Government to urgently release the final draft report.
“We agree that the minister’s [Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba] statement did not do justice to the issue,” Mr Banda said.
And MMD President Nevers Mumba said people should not be afraid to demonstrate even without a police permit to demand for their rights.
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