Civil society organisations are calling on Members of Parliament to boycott sittings to press President Michael Sata and his Patriotic Front government to release the Final Draft Constitution.
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) and the Zambia Voice are among the first civil society organisations demanding asking parliamentarians to take action.
FODEP executive director MacDonald Chipenzi says with the stance taken by government to defy popular citizen demand to have the Final Draft Constitution released to the public, a clarion call to all members of parliament to demand loudly for the release of the final Draft Constitution as they assemble has been made.
“They [MPs] should stand up and speak with a united voice in demanding for the immediate release of the final Draft Constitution by government failure to which they should boycott the parliamentary sittings this time around.
“It is well known fact that the deprivation of Political and civil liberties in this country is due to a defective, one party tailored constitution which parliamentarians, as lawmakers, should have keen interest to perfect.
“Fodep is gravely concerned that government has remained adamant over the constitution making process despite popular demand from citizens to conclude the process and focus on holding the national referendum,” Chipenzi states.
He said MPs, as participants and representatives of the people who submitted to districts and national consultative conventions, they should not allow government to take people for a ride on the constitution.
“FODEP requests them to take the battle into the House and avert the continued loss of public resources on this process and the intention by the current government to go to the 2016 tripartite elections using the current defective constitution.
“Parliamentarians should also demand to know whether or not the Technical Committee Drafting the New Zambia Draft Constitution (TCDZDC) is still operational or been quietly disbanded. If it was operational, how much public resources are being used to sustain the operations of the Committee,” he stated.
His counterpart at Zambia Voice, Chilufya Tayali, urges citizens to mobilise and petition the representatives
“Members of Parliament have to perform their constitutional right of representing the concerns of their constituents and addressing their grievances.
“The Zambian citizens have for a long time now been demanding for the release of the draft constitution to the public and a clear legal framework to protect the entire process,” he said.
Tayali said MPs can compel the Minister of Justice to release the Final Draft of the Constitution by the Technical Committee which has been handed over to the Ministry.
“We believe this effort can make a difference in our quest to have the Draft Constitution released to the public and a legal framework established to protect the content,” he said.
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