Maravi

NCC adopts dual citizenship Article

NCC adopts dual citizenship Article
Written by Ernest Chanda and Katwishi Bwalya

THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) on Wednesday unanimously adopted an Article in the Mung'omba draft constitution that allows for dual citizenship. And attempts by some delegates to cause a division and subsequent voting failed after the majority adopted clause 1 of the Article.

This was after only 97 members rose in an attempt to cause a division but failed to attain the required 120 threshold to be granted the division.

Article 21 clause 1 of the Mungo'mba draft constitution states that "a citizen, by birth, or decent, shall not lose that citizenship by acquiring the citizenship of another country."

And clause 2 of the same Article states that, "A citizen, by birth or descent, and who before the commencement of this constitution, acquired the citizenship of another country and as a result ceased to be a Zambian citizen shall be entitled to apply to the Citizenship Board to regain that citizenship."

The Article had initially been deleted by the citizenship committee of the NCC in its sittings early this year.

For the first time at the NCC, a contentious Article received support from the Executive's side, the opposition, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the church.

Supporting the clause, Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe urged other delegates to stop living in the era of primitivity.

"We should not worry so much about security issues. I think what we should worry about is to fight bureaucracy, that's what we should worry about. But if we want to write a constitution that will envelop 1950s primitivity then we are getting nowhere. I think we should be getting out of this notion that we are writing a constitution for this decade, we are writing a constitution for the future," Munkombwe said.

"I come from the old school of politics and I should be defending this bureaucracy, this primitivity, but I'm not. So I am the man of the moment. Those who think that I will be backward are disappointed because I move with time."

And Pastor Peter Mulenga who has for a long time been a proponent of dual citizenship debated that the Article was a true submission of Zambians to the Mung'omba Constitution Review Commission.

Chief Kashiba of Luapula Province observed that the fears about national security and patriotism were baseless.

"In my view, security risks come more from within the country than outside. As for loyalty and patriotism, what makes some people think that those Zambians living in the country are more loyal and patriotic than those outside? All these fears are baseless because they have no justification," chief Kashiba said.

Among other government officials who supported the Article were foreign affairs minister Kabinga Pande, finance deputy minister Chileshe Kapwepwe and home affairs minister Kalombo Mwansa.

But Lusaka magistrate Edward Musona argued that it was not easy for a person to hold dual nationality.

"Citizenship is like religion, and there is no person who can have two religions. One cannot be a Christian and a Muslim at the same time; a chrislam, no. Let us not take the issue of citizenship like a laboratory experiment," argued magistrate Musona.

He was supported by Chief Shaibila of Central Province who said the clause was not important because the country had very few Zambians living abroad.

"It will be a security risk to allow dual citizenship in this country and apart from that we have very few Zambians living abroad. So dual citizenship should not be allowed because not only is it a security risk but we cannot contain it as a country," chief Shaibila said.

Dr Antoinette Phiri from the Medical Association of Zambia said allowing dual citizenship would promote citizens of convenience.

"A double minded person is an unsafe person. We do not need citizens of convenience and that is why we are having brain drains as a country because people are not decided whether to remain in Zambia or not," said Dr Phiri.

Labels: CONSTITUTION, DUAL CITIZENSHIP, NCC

posted by MrK @ 8:21 PM