Maravi

(DAILY MAIL) NGO’s out, says Levy

NGO’s out, says Levy
By WALLEN SIMWAKA

PRESIDENT Mwanawasa says political parties, and not civil society groups, will lead the constitution-making process. And President Mwanawasa has asked political parties to put aside their differences and dedicate their energies to issues that would improve the well being of the Zambian people. Speaking on arrival at the Livingstone International Airport yesterday, Mr Mwanawasa said if the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) wanted to participate in the constitution-making process, it was important for them to affiliate themselves to political parties.

NGOs did not have the people's mandate for them to start championing the constitution-making process, he said. He wondered why NGOs were concerned with matters of government instead of dealing with poverty and hunger.

"I feel the question of the constitution-making process should be led by politicians and not the NGOs.

If the NGOs want to contribute to the process, they should join political parties,” he said.

“We have never refused them from joining political parties. Why should they be concerned with matters of government? Instead of talking poverty, you have engaged yourselves into politics."

The President said it was a breach of the law for NGOs to abandon their responsibilities and engage in politics. He said Government had decided that political parties would lead the constitutional process because NGOs had continued to denounce him despite several meetings with them to share constructive suggestions on the matter.

"I have met many NGOs and although I have made constructive suggestions, they have gone out to denounce me by calling me a trickster and manipulator," he said.

Mr Mwanawasa also said political differences among parties should not stand in the way of national development. He said Zambia was more important than individual aspirations and that it was important for political parties to take a reconciliatory route.

He commended Livingstone member of Parliament, Sakwiba Sikota, for seconding his proposal at the inter-party summit on how the constitution should be dealt with. He also commended Mr Sikota for receiving him at the airport, saying the gesture was a symbol of reconciliation.

“The last time I spoke about Mr Sikota I said a lot of bad things against him and even challenged him to join me at a political rally so that I could dress him down,” he said. “All that is now history and we have reconciled and are dialoguing because Zambia is more important than Mr Sikota and Mwanawasa."

He said he respected the decision of the people of Livingstone to elect Mr Sikota as their representative.

Meanwhile, the President cautioned the Patriotic Front (PF) not to return to the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) with a motive to cause confusion. Mr Mwanawasa hoped the PF was coming back into the ZCID to make meaningful and honest contributions on the constitution-making process.

PF had agreed to the constitutional conference as the mode of adopting the constitution at the ZCID summit of presidents, but changed their position a day later. Mr Mwanawasa said it was surprising that the PF president, Michael Sata, changed his mind on what was agreed and started denouncing him barely hours after agreeing.

He said the PF decided to pull out of the ZCID but when the Government of Netherlands started donating computers to political parties they returned to say they were still part of the group.

"When we first met at the ZCID summit, Mr Sata agreed with us and there was a picture where we were photographed with him on my right side like God and His Son Jesus Christ. But he changed his mind the following day and started denouncing me,” he said.

“Today if Mr Given Lubinda says we are in it, it is because they have come to eat. We hope PF will honestly contribute to the process. If he is coming to cause confusion, I suggest that he leaves and sits with the Oasis Forum and come up with their own roadmap.”

He asked Zambians to pray for political leaders so that God could continue giving them wisdom.

Labels: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, CONSTITUTION, CONSTITUTIONAL CONFERENCE, GIVEN LUBINDA, NGOs, SATA, ZCID

posted by MrK @ 4:32 AM