YALI condemns Grand Coalition demands

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) says the call by the Grand Coalition to borrow money to finance the Referendum must be dismissed with the contempt it deserves.

YALI Governance Advisor has told QFM News in an interview that the call is unrealistic looking at the many developmental and poverty reduction programmes Government needs to prioritize it’s resources for.

Mr. Mwanza says YALI finds this call for increased borrowing by the Grand Coalition unreasonable and lacking in terms of patriotism and prioritization.

Mr. Mwanza says the Zambian people are already in huge debt following the loans Government contracted without much thought and plans and the task of repaying the loans rest on the future generation.

He says it is unacceptable to continue to borrow money especially to finance processes such as a referendum which can wait a little longer for Zambia to generate some revenue for holding it alongside the 2016 general elections or thereabouts.

He adds that his organization is aware that Government financed the last presidential by-election to a tune of 96% of the total cost of the election, while Zambia’s cooperating partners pitched in with the remaining 4%.

Mr. Mwanza says his organization is 85 percent sure that the current position being peddled by some civil society groupings may jeopardize even the modest amendments that are within reach.

The YALI Governance Advisor has since urged Government to release the Revised Roadmap on the Constitution Reform process and begin to institute measures that would ensure that the country begins preparing for the Referendum alongside the 2016 general elections, while the current Constitution is subjected to amendments in Parliament before December 31, 2015.

 

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