Maravi

NCC wants to defend criminals with new constitution

NCC wants to defend criminals with new constitution
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 13 July 2010, 04:40 CAT

BISHOP John Mambo has charged that the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) wants to give people a constitution that will defend liars and criminals. In an interview, Bishop Mambo said looking at the way the NCC delegates have behaved on the constitution making process it is clear that they want a defective document.

He said it is unfortunate that from the beginning of the process, the delegates had resolved not to listen to anyone else on contentious issues.

“We begged them to keep the fifty per cent plus one threshold, we begged them to give us an elected Vice-President but they did not listen. We asked them to put our social rights in the constitution they rejected these rights and laughed at them.

The simple reason is that they want to give us a constitution that will continue to defend liars and criminals. I speak as former member of the Mung’omba CRC Constitution Review Commission and my heart bleeds. And looking at the way they have misconducted themselves over this process, what type of a constitution will they give Zambians?” Bishop Mambo asked.

Bishop Mambo said the Mung’omba CRC kept most of the contentious issues in the draft constitution because they listened to the people.

He cautioned NCC delegates against personalising a national document such as the constitution.

Bishop Mambo challenged the NCC to tell the nation when they will go round the country getting submissions from people.

“The 40 day period they gave us to make comments will be over in about two weeks time. And as I speak most of the people have not even seen this document because it has not been made available to them. Again, the law provides that the NCC goes round the country collecting views from people and explaining the document. The 40 day period is almost over, so when will these NCC colleagues go round the country to get people’s views? Are they skipping this important part of the exercise? And what guarantee do we have that even after people have commented they will respect people’s views?” asked Bishop Mambo.

He said even though the NCC adopted a degree clause as one of the qualifications for Presidential candidate, it was not necessary as admitted by President Rupiah Banda recently.

Bishop mambo said when Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was in the country over a week ago, President Banda admitted that someone could still perform well as a leader without a degree.
He urged the NCC delegates to listen to the people for once and do the right thing.

Labels: JOHN MAMBO, NCC

posted by MrK @ 2:43 PM