Proposed Bill of Rights must be rejected – Chipenzi

Electoral Expert MacDonald Chipenzi says the proposed Bill of Rights must be rejected by the electorate because it mischievously wants to insulate the State from honoring its obligation to realize the proposed rights.
Mr Chipenzi says the Bill of Rights further intends to keep Ministers in their portfolios in perpetuity and undermine the doctrine of the separation of powers in the country by entrenching the articles on the appointment of the ministers and their removal from power.

He says according to Article 303 of the Proposed Bill of Rights, the articles on the appointment of ministers from within Parliament and their vacation from office until another person assumes the Office of President can only be altered or amended after holding a National referendum.
He adds that the Bill also proposes for the holding of a National referendum to change or amend the electoral system for the election of Members of Parliament which is currently based on first-past- the -post (FPTP) contrary to the demands of the Zambian citizens to replace it with the Proportional Representation system.

Mr Chipenzi states that entrenching the above articles will be contrary to the spirit and the desires of the Zambian people who have yearned for Cabinet outside Parliament and a mixed member proportional Representation electoral system.
He further states that the Bill in Article 45 insulates the State from being compelled to progressively ensure the realization of the social, economic, cultural and environmental rights as contained in the Bill of rights as the court has been barred from interfering with allocation of resources by the State.
QFM