Maravi

Miyanda cautions Rupiah against making serious pronouncements at the airport

Miyanda cautions Rupiah against making serious pronouncements at the airport
Written by George Chellah
Saturday, September 12, 2009 2:12:42 AM

HERITAGE Party (HP) president Brigadier General Godfrey Miyanda yesterday cautioned President Rupiah Banda against making serious pronouncements at the airport, saying on several occasions there is nothing urgent or really newsworthy that is said.

Reacting to President Banda's recent remarks on dual citizenship, Brig Gen Miyanda observed that the point of his critique was that it was becoming increasingly disconcerting to hear President Banda make serious pronouncements at the airport or in foreign lands but which statements are soon repudiated or qualified.

"Although it is important or necessary for the President to respond to press queries as he leaves the country or arrives back home, on several occasions there is nothing urgent or really newsworthy that is said. I suggest that the President's staff handle such routine queries at airports. When the President speaks he must make such an important pronouncement that it cannot be contradicted or disowned a little later," Brig Gen Miyanda stated. "If it is necessary for a brief to be made to the press at the airport, arrangements should be made for the President's staff to address the press, preferably with a brief written on the plane giving salient points of the outcome of a visit. It is not wise to believe that the President has to speak each time he lands on our soil. There has to be something worth the urgency for the President to speak at the airport."

Brig Gen Miyanda stated that for some time now, the nation had been made to believe that the National Constitution Conference (NCC) had been extended for ten months on presidential order.

"Now we are told by the President that the extension is only for four months. Although about two weeks have elapsed no such correction came from the President's office until when he was returning from the Congo DR. Meanwhile, several concerned citizens have been commenting on the extension both for and against the decision, based on the information that had been put out in the public domain. It is curious that such lapses continue even in straightforward information dissemination. Is it really necessary for the President to make these pronouncements which ought really to be done by his staff?" Brig Gen Miyanda stated.

"And what is the explanation for the government, in this regard the Ministry of Justice, not publishing the Statutory Instrument on the extension which was approved by the President to run from 1st April 2009 but only published in the Government Gazette on 13th August 2009, four and a half months later? In the olden days, such an S.I. would be delayed by say a week or two, not four months. These are serious indicators of the general malaise that is afflicting this government and spreading like a cancer at great speed. The cancer must be stopped before it takes the life of this nation! But even more serious is the reported announcement by the President himself in Swaziland that the NCC has approved dual citizenship.

"This one cannot be let to pass because not only is it erroneous and misleading, but raises questions as to whether those in authority in NCC are prematurely submitting reports to the President, contrary to the NCC Act; or is it that government, which is fully represented by senior government leaders including the Vice-President of the Republic, has chosen to begin speculating instead of waiting patiently for the outcome of the conference deliberations?"

He wondered why this important statement was made in Swaziland and not at home.

"Could it be the pressure of the meeting with the diaspora, inviting a mere public relations statement or was it a timely vote-catching exercise targeting Zambians in the diaspora? The report in the media that the President had informed Zambians in Swaziland that the NCC had approved dual citizenship is erroneous. Even for the President to say that because his party had majority MPs in Parliament and will pass the clause is incorrect. Here I am not discussing the merits or demerits of dual citizenship but the principle of letting the NCC complete its work and follow the law in total," he stated.

He stated that in the first place, the NCC had no power to approve anything or finally determine any of the provisions in the Mung'omba Report.

"Under the NCC Act, the functions of the Conference are to consider and deliberate the provisions of the CRC Report and Draft Constitution and then adopt the same and submit to the Minister of Justice for his further action in accordance with the Act. The only time any provisions of the drafts may be finally approved is when they have either been endorsed by Parliament or have been subjected to a referendum and a decision made thereon. Secondly, Citizenship falls under Part Three of the current Constitution," stated Brig Gen Miyanda.

"Under this Part, no amendment may be made without a referendum. So it is premature, erroneous and misleading for the President to excite citizens abroad that approval has been given. The only time we may know the final outcome of NCC deliberations is when Parliament has finally legislated in accordance with its legislative powers or when a referendum has taken place for provisions that fall under Part three of the Constitution."

Labels: GODFREY MIYANDA, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 1:16 AM