YALI SUPPORTS AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION BILL THROUGH PARLIAMENT

By MacPherson Mukuka

The Young African Leaders Initiative YALI says it fully supports the route taken by government to amend the constitution through parliament, whose gazette has already been published.

YALI president ANDREW NTEWEWE says his organization recognizes that parliament is the only body with a constitutional mandate and legislative power to enact or re-enact any law, including the adoption of the constitution.

Mr. NTEWEW says YALI will support government for doing the right thing of producing a constitution that the majority Zambians can live with.

He says no constitution is perfect, but YALI expects the document to suit the majority even if others may disagree with some of its content.

Mr NTEWEWE was however quick to mention that Government may be forgiven for not adhering to its promise to table the bills in parliament in June but charged that the people of Zambia will not forgive the PF administration it fails to enact the constitution before 2016 elections.

And Mr. NTEWEW has accused the Law Association of Zambian of lying to the people of Zambia that there will only be a good constitution if a referendum is held.   

He said it is unfortunate that organizations that people look forward to help guide and legally interpret the process have not been spared from politicking.  

He said he expected the association to help the nation understand provisions of the law that gives parliament an exclusive legislative mandate to not only pass laws but also adopt all laws during the reading of the bill in parliament.

Mr. NTEWEWE has since declared his Organisation ready to challenge the LAZ and the Grand Coalition in the legal proceedings to bar government from taking the Constitution to parliament.

He says YALI has instructed its lawyers to prepare a suitable response asking YALI to join the proceedings against those who may commencer the lawsuit intended to frustrate the enactment of a new constitution.

And efforts to get a comment from the Law Association of Zambian proved futile by press time as their phones went unanswered, meanwhile the Grand coalition says it will react to the statement on Sunday at a press briefing.