Under pressure to release the final draft Constitution, Zambia’s Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said Wednesday he will need the authority of Cabinet to do so.
The move is likely to brew fears the document will be doctored, allegations government denies.
“Yes, we”ll release the document, but will only release the draft Constitution to the public after Cabinet authority,” State radio quoted Mr Kabimba as saying.
“The document will be made available very soon, or within a reasonable period of time.”
The heated debate has been about when the government, seemingly back-tracking on its promise to deliver a new Constitution in 90 days, would release the document to the public.
In his maiden address to Parliament in 2011 following his election, President Sata, 76, said his government was committed to delivering a people-driven constitution within three months–one of his campaign pledges–which drew widespread praise.
He later appointed a Committee in 2011 to collect views, but toward the end of its mandate a “tug-of-war” ensued between it and the Executive on the mode of releasing it simultaneously to the President and the public for debate.
The document is now in government possession.
The government seemed “uncomfortable” with the idea of releasing the document to the public, which is also demanding a referendum, before it had a “chance” to read through the content, some political commentators say.
President Sata’s ruling Patriotic Front party, which while in the opposition gave a wide berth to the constitution making during the administrations of former presidents Levy Mwanawasa and Rupiah Banda, has not indicated whether the process would be followed by a referendum, which stakeholders are demanding.
Zambia got its independence from Britain in 1964 and has struggled to formulate a people-driven constitution for many years now.
Leave a Reply