National Constitution Convention wants referendum

—Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the constitution making process succeeds and produces a people-driven constitution to fulfil the aspirations of all Zambians.

Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba, said government is aware of the aspirations of Zambians to produce a constitution that will reflect what they submitted and assured the nation that his government will deliver to them a people-driven constitution.

Mr Kabimba said government has political will to ensure that the country undertakes the constitutional reforms as envisaged by the Patriotic Front manifesto, adding the President has demonstrated the political will by continually rendering support to the Technical Committee.

In a speech read for him by his deputy, Ngosa Simbyakula, at the official closure of the National Constitution Convention in Lusaka last evening, the Justice Minister said government is awaiting the final product of constitution-making process whose final consultative process has been concluded.

He hoped that the concerns raised by the people of Zambia starting from the communities, districts, provinces, including the input of the national convention will receive a serious consideration by the Technical Committee in finalizing the constitution.

Earlier, the Technical Committee Chairperson, Annel Silungwe, saluted delegates for the commitment and support they had rendered to the committee in drafting the document.

Justice Silungwe explained that his committee will use the resolutions from the Sector Group’s and the national convention in coming up with the final Draft Constitution which will be presented to the President.

And the National Convention resolved that the national referendum be conducted at least within 12 months after the report has been handed over to the President in order to allow the Electoral Commission of Zambia to prepare for the exercise.

The closure of National Convention marks the conclusion of the formal consultative process on the drafting of the Zambian constitution.

The National Convention received and considered comments and recommendations of the ten Provincial Conventions and further examined and deliberated on the clauses of the First Draft Constitution.