Kabimba blames Technical Committee for failed 90 days promise

Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba says the Patriotic Front (PF) government’s legacy in relation to the current constitution making process will be judged by the Zambian people in 2016.

Mr. Kabimba says the people of Zambia will further make the decision whether or not the PF deserves a second term in office.

Mr. Kabimba, who is also PF Secretary General, however says the PF government is not governing with any sense of fear ahead of 2016.

He says the PF government will continue promoting transparency and accountability by answering questions from stakeholders on issues of national interest.

The Justice Minister was speaking this morning in Lusaka when held a meeting with the Oasis Forum on the current constitutional making process.

The Oasis Forum had sought an audience with the Minister to seek among other things answers on where the country is with regards the current constitution making process, what has led the ruling PF not to stick to its 90 days campaign promise for enacting a new constitution and whether there are any clauses in the draft constitution which the government is against.

And Mr. Kabimba has explained that the reason why the final draft constitution has to be taken for Cabinet’s consideration is to ensure that the Technical Committee did follow its terms of reference.

He also maintained that had the final draft constitution been worked on in line with what was contained in the PF manifesto produced in the year 2010, the country’s new constitution would have been enacted within 90 days.

Mr Kabimba says unlike the approach the Technical Committee took to hold public meetings, the provisions of the PF manifesto only needed the Technical Committee to produce a document based on the previous constitution review commissions.

And Oasis Forum Chairperson, Suzanne Matale says despite the answers Mr. Kabimba has given to questions her organization raised, the question of when the draft constitution will be taken to Cabinet and what will follow next still remains.

Rev. Matale says this is because people in the country want to know the exact timeframe the process will take.

QFM News Zambia