Constitution-making process needs legal protection - ZEC

Constitution-making process needs legal protection - ZEC
By Roy Habaalu
Mon 30 Jan. 2012, 13:59 CAT

THE Zambia Episcopal Conference says the constitution-making process needs a legal instrument that safeguards and protects its content.

During a press briefing yesterday at which they released a pastoral letter themed: "That they may have abundant life", ZEC president Archbishop Ignatius Chama said from experience, the Church had learnt that if the constitutional-making process was not sufficiently protected by law, it was prone to political manipulation.

"Much as the new government has given the Zambian people assurances that the current process will be independent and that the government will endeavour to deliver a people-driven constitution, these assurances are based on trust rather than a legal framework," said Archbishop Chama.

He said the government should show commitment towards the process by appointing a referendum commission to start preparatory work in anticipation of the draft constitution.

"We urge the constitution technical committee to bear in mind that Zambia has already spent enormous amounts of money on the constitution-making process and the public is anxious to know how much more their government is going to spend this time around," he said.

He said the government should exercise diligence in the fight against corruption, which should be conducted within the confines of the rule of law.

He said the fight against corruption should be free of any symptoms that betray and misuse the judicial process to target political opponents.

"More specifically, government must demonstrate how it is reforming public accountability systems to avert future corrupt practices by those in public office today. While political leaders may seem to be corrupt, we are aware that the civil service is the engine of development in any nation," he said.

Meanwhile, Archdiocese of Lusaka Archbishop Telesphore Mpundu said previous regimes used the judicial process to persecute their political opponents.

He said current investigations on former government leaders should be based on correcting wrongs.

"We have laws and if they are not adequate, they need to be re-enforced with no directives from the executive. If the law was broken, those in charge should do their work for the good of the nation. As far as we're concerned, the ongoing investigations should be in line with the rule of law," said Archbishop Mpundu.

On management of public funds, Archbishop Chama said while the Catholic Church appreciated the government's efforts to use resources prudently, there were apparent contradictions that had come along with the measures.

"We also see policies that seem to overstretch public resources such as new additional diplomatic missions abroad in an era where richer nations are closing and rationalising their respective embassies.

"There are many other extravagances such as the setting up of many commissions of inquiry instead of consolidating existing investigative wings," he said.

On health, Archbishop Chama said it was disheartening and unacceptable for the government's reluctance to fund hospices because it did not recognise them as health institutions under the Ministry of Health structure.