Acting Information Minister Fackson Shamenda has accused members of the Technical Committee of having an inherent partisan stance against the Patriotic Front government.
Shamenda said of the members who were picked by the Patriotic Front government that they were promoting partisan interests.
The Technical Committee has lost favour with President Michael Sata’s government over their uncompromising stance on the constitution that has seen them raise the whistle whenever government had attempted to manipulate the process.
Below is Shamenda’s full statement:
Republic of Zambia
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services
STATEMENT BY HON. FACKSON SHAMENDA, MP, ACTING MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON THE CONSTITUTION-MAKING PROCESS
Government continues to be saddened by the attitude of some members of the Technical Committee whose historic partisan rebellion against the PF has been infused into the Constitution-making process, which is supposed to be a national endeavour.
The Constitution-making process cannot be hinged upon the controversies and aspersions being promoted by some members of the Technical Committee.
The Government would like to remind the Technical Committee that the guiding principles constituting part of its Terms of Reference require the Committee to recognise the importance of confidence building to engender trust and to develop national consensus.
In addition, the Committee is required by the same Terms of Reference to be guided by the principle of stewardship and responsible management. It is clear from the open show of disrespect by some members of the Technical Committee to national leaders that there is a concerted effort to pursue partisan and sectoral interest in the current process.
Government would like to remind the Technical Committee that the Zambian people who elected the PF administration are also entitled to be given due regard in the current process just like all other Zambians. Government remains committed to a Constitution-making process devoid of sectoral inclinations.
Government therefore, appeals to the Technical Committee to stick to its Terms of Reference and to pursue consensus building rather than divisive and retrogressive bickering that may negate all the work that has been done so far.
Those members of the Technical Committee who have burning political ambitions would do well to deploy their divisive politics outside the current Constitution-making process or deploy it in the political arena rather than the Constitution-making process.
Hon. Fackson Shamenda
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
24th January, 2014
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