Maravi

Levy’s day is coming

Levy’s day is coming
By Editor
Sunday March 25, 2007 [02:00]

It is now becoming very clear that the people of Zambia are determined to see to it that a new constitution is put in place, whether or not Levy Mwanawasa and his government like it. From the few discussions so far held in some parts of the country over the constitution-making process, it is quite evident that the people of Zambia will not relent in their quest for a new constitution. And if Levy and his government insist on their arrogance over this matter, then they are better advised to prepare for a serious fight with the Zambian people.

It seems that since Levy and his government have decided to find all sorts of funny excuses to frustrate the constitution-making process, the Zambian people are now ready to take the matter as their own battle. And they deserve to be praised for this show of resistance against Levy’s clear path towards the road of dictatorship. We are saying this not to deliberately slight anyone.

However, going by the facts on the ground, Levy’s behaviour over the constitution-making process stinks of dictatorial tendencies. All of a sudden, Levy wants to tell the people of Zambia that it was his initial intention to leave the people of Zambia with a new constitution. He makes a fallacious claim, however, that due to the calamity of floods that befell the country recently, he will be unable to do so.

This must be the greatest joke that Levy has made in his entire Presidency. In the first place, we are told that although the government has assisted flood victims here and there, the help is not as helpful to sufficiently alleviate their suffering. Second, Levy cannot fool the entire population that the extent of the effects of the floods are so gigantic that a process that has been planned for over a period of time should just be brought to an immediate halt.

What Levy must realise is that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. The people of Zambia are now telling Levy that he should not take them for granted, he should not abuse their patience over this matter.

Nobody can deny that Zambians have given Levy and his government enough rope to hang themselves over the constitution-making process. Unfortunately, it looks like Levy and his government are not willing to make good use of the opportunity and the goodwill of the Zambian people. We may not necessarily agree with some of the radical positions that some Zambians want to take over the matter.

However, we are in agreement with the general sentiments that a need has arisen for the people to take the bull by its horns, to take on Levy and his government and force them to do what the Zambian people want. The time has come for the people of Zambia to bring sanity to the health of our country’s politics, lest they allow the emergence of a dictatorship.

And if Levy is a good student of history, other than being a self-proclaimed fundi of the law, he can pick a few lessons from a few points in our country’s past. In case he is not a smart student of history, Levy is reminded that Dr Kenneth Kaunda was forced out of power when it became clear that he was not doing what the Zambian people wanted. He was forced to change the law and cut short his term of office because the people were fed up with his ways.

His successor, Frederick Chiluba, also attempted to abuse the will of the people by seeking a third term of office. Levy is very much aware of what happened to his predecessor. These should serve as important reminders to Levy that he should not unnecessarily antagonise the people over the constitution making process. If he wants to be arrogant and proceed in the manner that he appears to be doing at the moment, he should do so knowing very well that the people of Zambia will make him account for his acts.

And why should it be that Levy is not committed to helping in finding a solution to a problem that generally accounts for the country’s political deficiencies? We continue to wonder that Levy in his wildest of dreams thinks that he actually owes the people of Zambia a good constitution and he would be doing them a favour to ‘give them’ a new constitution. With or without Levy, the people of Zambia deserve a good constitution.


And they will fight to have one. If Levy does not want to be part of the process to make a good constitution, let him be ignored. Already, his utterances point to the fact that he has actually become an obstacle to the entire process. Through his deeds and words, Levy is telling the people that he is now irrelevant to the process of finding a solution to a problem of utmost political importance.

Again, we want to remind Levy that he should not overstretch the patience of the people over the constitution-making process. He still has time to reflect on his stance over this matter. But the people will not give him a lot of time because he has had enough of it already.

Levy has to start obeying the will of the people, otherwise he will have himself to blame if they stand up to him. The Zambian people have been patient enough and Levy’s magnanimity should not be in the form of frustrating their wishes or desires. But if Levy wishes to continue being arrogant over this matter, he can be assured that his day is coming, very soon.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, EDITORIAL

posted by MrK @ 3:40 AM