Maravi

Oasis launches red campaign

Oasis launches red campaign
By Brighton Phiri
Monday June 11, 2007 [04:00]

THE Oasis Forum has accused President Mwanawasa of acting in bad faith by calling for a referendum on the constituent assembly. And the conveners of the Oasis Forum have declared that they would demand President Mwanawasa's resignation if he lost during the referendum. Meanwhile Oasis Forum has maintained that President Mwanawasa has been inconsistent and untruthful in his position on the constituent assembly.

Speaking during the launch of the Red Campaign for a constituent assembly and on behalf of Oasis Forum and the Collaborative Group on the Constitution, Council of Churches in Zambia general secretary Susanne Matale reminded President Mwanawasa that he was acting in bad faith by calling for a referendum on the constituent assembly when that was one of the terms of reference for the Mung'omba Constitution Review Commission (CRC).

“The President needs to keep his promise that he would abide by whatever the CRC recommended on the constituent assembly,” Reverend Matale said. “The Referendum on whether or not we should have a constituent assembly is totally unnecessary. However, now that Mr Mwanawasa has single-handedly decided to proceed with the referendum, we, the people of Zambia are ready for him.”

She asked President Mwanawasa and government to provide a clear timetable on the referendum and that civil society, the Church and other stakeholders should be included in framing the referendum question.

“We resolve that we shall hold this government responsible for this misuse of public resources on an exercise that is extraneous and unjustified. These costs will surely be recovered from the individuals involved in making this unfortunate decision, in the near future,” she said. “We serve notice to Mr Mwanawasa and his government, that in the event of him losing the referendum, we reserve the right to call for his resignation because his integrity and that of his government would equally have been compromised.”
Rev. Matale said it was regrettable that the fears that civil society had in 2003 about President Mwanawasa and his administration vis-à-vis the constitution review process had come to pass.

“We expressed concern then that President Mwanawasa did not sincerely believe in the constitution review process and he was simply using it to gain political mileage and political survival and today - four years later - our position has been vindicated,” Rev. Matale said.
She said obstacles that were based on personal fear of loss of political power by the MMD and not objective and sound reasons, had impeded the road towards the making of a people-driven constitution in Zambia.

“President Mwanawasa pledged to be different and not tread the path of his predecessor where constitution making is concerned. We did not trust that he had the capacity to be different and we still do not trust that he can deliver this process by allowing it to be unfettered by unnecessary diversions,” Rev Matale said.
Rev Matale urged Zambians to be on guard and not to take the back seat when those that they elected to be their servants decided to speak for them in a manner that did not reflect their collective aspirations as a people.

She said the expenditure on the referendum was totally unacceptable and unjustified.
Rev Matale said the expenditure on the referendum amounted to misuse of public resources.
“We are the taxpayers and we are not impressed that government would like to commit resources to a process and on a question that had been overwhelmingly supported before. How different will the MMD government be from those that are being accused of plundering public resources?” she asked. “This wastage of resources is callous and immoral. We know that government wants to justify its position by saying this is what the Willa Mung’omba CRC recommended, but isn’t it surprising that the same government is now questioning the CRC recommendations on economic, social and cultural rights? This is doublespeak and it shows how insincere the MMD government is on this issue.”

Rev Matale explained that the Oasis Forum launched the ‘Red Campaign’ because Zambians were aware of President Mwanawasa’s machinations and political engineering attempts.

“Red is also selected because we are blowing President Mwanawasa offside for taking us through a totally unacceptable route of the referendum,” she said. “The colour red and a red card or scarf will be our new symbol. Previously we used green ribbons when we advocated against the third term but for now we have adopted other symbols to ensure that our message is clear.”

Rev Matale said the civil society would mobilise the people and sensitise them on the need for a constituent assembly.
She said Zambians had an opportunity to do the right thing and ensure that the new constitution was widely accepted and commanded the obedience and respect of every Zambian.

She said Oasis Forum would not be implementing the red campaign alone, but with a Collaborative Group on the Constitution (CGC), which would be under the leadership of the Oasis Forum.

She named SACCORD, Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP), Anti-Voter Apathy Programme (AVAP), TIZ, Press Association of Zambia (PAZA), Citizens Forum, Zambia National Women’s Lobby Group and Zambia Alliance of Women as the organisations that had joined the Oasis Forum.
Rev Matale urged Zambians to use their red card to flag President Mwanawasa and his administration off side. “Let us wear our red scarves with pride and remind all Zambians to do the right thing and vote for the constituent assembly,” she said.

And in his letter of reply to President Mwanawasa, Oasis Forum spokesperson Musa Mwenye stated that President Mwanawasa’s arguments of financial and legal impediments were a repetition of the reasons raised by former president Frederick Chiluba against the recommendations of the Mwanakatwe Constitution Review Commission.

“As mentioned to you in our telephone discussion, the Oasis Forum maintains the view that you, Your Excellency, have been inconsistent and untruthful in your position on the constituent assembly. This is exacerbated by the fact that during our conversation you mentioned to me that you were in support of the constituent assembly despite your public statement that you would vote against it. It is also clear that your recent position to vote against the constituent assembly contradicts your earlier commitments to accept the recommendations of the CRC on the constituent assembly,” read Mwenye’s letter in part.

Mwenye stated that at no time did he tell President Mwanawasa that he was misquoted in an article that was attributed to him. He denied having rushed to The Post as alleged by President Mwanawasa.

Mwenye argued that there was absolutely no need to have a referendum to amend Article 79 of the Constitution before the establishment of the constituent assembly.
He said that was because the constituent assembly like the CRC was an attempt to legitimise the constitution-making process and to ensure that the constitution was a product of the people.

“I reiterated in our conversation that the position of the Oasis Forum is that the Presidency does not possess the monopoly of wisdom in making the people’s constitution and that your office, with respect sir, cannot be allowed to come up with a firm position as to the provisions that are reasonable for inclusion in our constitution no matter how sound your arguments for the said provisions are. I advised that it was better that you bring all your objections to the recommendations of the Mung’omba CRC to the constituent assembly where the people of Zambia shall refine and adopt for themselves a document that will eventually embrace all the views and aspirations of the majority of the people of Zambia,” read Mwenye’s letter.

He said the Oasis Forum would ask Zambians to hold President Mwanawasa personally and government responsible for the costs of the referendum and would campaign that President Mwanawasa account for his objections to the constituent assembly that were based on reasons of self-preservation and interest on his part and the ruling MMD.
“In the event that the national referendum goes against your scheme, you should in all fairness to the people of Zambia resign and call for fresh elections immediately,” stated Mwenye.

Labels: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, CRC, MWANAWASA, OASIS FORUM

posted by MrK @ 8:27 AM