Maravi

Reach consensus on constitution, urges Zuka

Reach consensus on constitution, urges Zuka
By George Chellah
Monday May 07, 2007 [04:00]

VETERAN politician and freedom fighter Simon Zukas has urged Zambians to try and reach a consensus on the constitution-making process before going to the streets. In an interview yesterday, Zukas said Patriotic Front (PF) president Michael Sata's rejection of President Mwanawasa's proposal for an indaba was too quick. Zukas said he believed in the saying that where there is a will, there is a way.

"In my view, Sata was too quick to reject Mwanawasa's suggestion for an indaba. Whatever Mwanawasa has in mind about an indaba doesn't mean that they have got to fall with it," Zukas said.

"That's just an indaba...an indaba can take many forms. If he (President Mwanawasa) has the idea of an indaba it means he is beginning to feel the public pressure on the constitution."

He urged the civil society, the Church and opposition political parties to take a positive view of President Mwanawasa's suggestion.

"I take the view that the suggestion of an indaba by him, it's really hinting forward. He is moving forward somewhat. Indaba is not equivalent to a constituent assembly but in my view it can be a means of getting forward to the constituent assembly," Zukas said.

"I would like to urge the civil society, the Church and opposition political parties to take a positive view of the suggestion."

Zukas urged Zambians to try and get a consensus on the constitution-making process before going to the streets. "In 1990, we had a very similar situation. We had a lot of pressure on Kaunda to give way to multiparty politics. Eventually when he felt the pressure we finished at going to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, where we had a sort of an indaba," Zukas said.

"In the end we reached a consensus for the way forward to avoid going to the streets because when going to the streets you never know whether you can control it or if it would go bad.

"President Mwanawasa has been sticking to his legalism or Article 79 et cetera. There are legalistic problems on how to go forward but where there is a will there is a way. We can overcome by discussing with some sort of an indaba. Let's go back to the Cathedral and use our historical precedence. Let's try and get a consensus before we go to the streets for demonstrations."

He urged PF and the other stakeholders to take the view of the indaba positively. "And I take it that despite legal arguments, I want to assume that the will of Mwanawasa is also to have a constitution in place. Let's use the auspices of the Church like we did in 1990 to put us together... it's still an indaba," Zukas said. President Mwanawasa has stated that it would be cheaper to adopt the new constitution through an indaba.

He said he was prepared to call for a national convention to discuss the constitution-making process. "When we met to discuss the issue of the national indaba, my proposal was well received by the civil society who were present at State House. But I don't know whether State House ties people's mouths such that they cannot speak out while inside there.

But when they went out, they went to renounce what we had agreed on the national indaba," President Mwanawasa said last week. "That proposal is still open. It will be cheaper for us to adopt the Constitution... for us to ensure that those portions of the Constitution that require amendment are looked into. It will be cheaper...yes, I know that some people will not get the money from the donors which they are getting for waging war against us. But I agree, the option is still open. I am prepared to call the national convention, but that can be when it is supported by the people."

Labels: KAUNDA, PF, ZUKAS

posted by MrK @ 4:39 AM