Maravi

Bishop Mambo backs calls for elected vice-president

Bishop Mambo backs calls for elected vice-president
Written by Ernest Chanda
Sunday, November 23, 2008 9:58:27 AM

FORMER commissioner in the Mung'omba
Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) Bishop John Mambo has said an elected vice-president would be given legitimacy and protected from presidential abuse.

Commenting on Lusaka lawyer John Sangwa's suggestion that Zambia should have an elected vice-president, Bishop Mambo said the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) should seriously adopt that clause to protect the vice-presidency and give it legitimacy.

"I go by what Sangwa said in today's Post [Thursday's] regarding the NCC considering a vice-president as running mate. The NCC should not ignore Sangwa's statement because it makes a lot of sense," Bishop Mambo said.

He said the idea was not a short-term measure, but one that could have good long-term effects on the country's democracy.

"It is not just in times of death, crisis and all that, no. Anyone that is not elected but is appointed in any position, he/she becomes vulnerable because they are at the mercy of the head of state," he said.

Bishop Mambo said it was embarrassing that countries that Zambia had helped in the liberation struggle were now doing better constitutionally.

"Zambia has liberated several countries in southern Sahara Africa. But constitutionally they appear to be doing well," Bishop Mambo said.

He said it was not the first time that such a clause had been called for, but that previous governments had just been ignoring it.

Bishop Mambo said the vice-president should operate in a free atmosphere, knowing that he was not subject to blind loyalty.

"You have a good vice-president now by the name of George Kunda, but he is at the mercy of His Excellency the President of the day. He gets one wind of gossip tomorrow he is gone. So the man is not settled and that's not what we are looking for. We need to move forward by embracing what is in the Mung'omba CRC and what Sangwa, a highly respected constitutional lawyer, has suggested," Bishop Mambo said.

He said he would have also loved the NCC to consider embracing senior people who participated in the Mung'omba CRC.

"I would have loved myself if the chairman, who was ba [Willa] Mung'omba or the vice chairman who was [senior] chief Inyambo Yeta, were on the board, because, how do you for example discuss my report when I am not there?" he asked.

Bishop Mambo said those in the CRC should not just be concerned about allowances, but about coming up with a good constitution.

Last Tuesday, Sangwa urged the NCC to consider adopting a recommendation from the Mung'omba CRC draft report that a Presidential candidate should have a running mate.

Sangwa said this would help fill the vacuum that exists in the current Constitution and give legitimacy to the Vice-President.

Sangwa said it would also cut down on costs in the event that an incumbent president died, because the vice-president would just take over knowing that he had the mandate of the people.

Labels: JOHN MAMBO, VICE PRESIDENCY

posted by MrK @ 10:00 AM