By Zambian Eye
Chairman of the Opposition Alliance comprising of MMD, Alliance for Better Zambia (ABZ), People’s Party and Zambians for Empowerment and Developmen (ZED) has said President Michael Sata and his PF should consider it a privileged to be in government at the time when the country celebrates its Independence Golden Jubilee.
Gen. Malimba Masheke who chairs the Opposition Alliance made the remarks at the first press briefing of the Alliance that was attended by presidents of all the parties.
Below is a statement in full:
President Michael Chilufya Sata and the Patriotic Front administration should consider themselves very privileged to be in government at the time when our country celebrates our Independence Golden Jubilee.
Mr Sata should not look at this reality as an accident but God’s plan for him and his team to achieve specific goals and milestones in the development of Zambia.
As Opposition Alliance we think that Zambians deserve to have a wonderful and memorable jubilee celebration. To guarantee such a celebration, we think that unity and peace should flow like a river in our land. It is therefore incumbent upon President Sata and his administration to take affirmative steps towards restoring unity, justice and peace in our country.
All Zambians agree that the major stumbling block to justice, peace and unity in our country is our defective Republican Constitution. The roots of animosity because of bad governance including divisions and lack of development in Zambia can all be traced to our undemocratic constitution. It is because of a weak constitution that violation of human rights, corruption, abuse of power and poverty are thriving in our country. And now, the constitution making process itself has also created a lot of dissension, acrimony and uncalled for divisions.
Against this background, we are passionately calling upon Mr Sata and his administration to unite our people ahead of the climax of our Independence Golden Jubilee celebration. This is indispensable for the success of the celebration. The first step His Excellency Mr Michael Chilufya Sata should take is to release the draft constitution and subsequently allow our people to have a just, democratic and durable people-driven constitution, the constitution Zambians have always wanted.
As expected our country will invite various foreign dignitaries to the Golden Jubilee celebration. These dignitaries will be shocked to learn that majority of Zambians have boycotted the celebration due to acrimony resulting from the failure of the ruling party to deliver a people-driven constitution contrary to their own promise.
It would be embarrassing for these dignitaries to celebrate such a monumental event only with the ruling party and a few of their allies.
Hence, we reiterate our call to President Sata to immediately release the draft constitution and heed calls for a clear roadmap in the current constitution making process. The roadmap should include a referendum.
Finally, we wish to reiterate our belief that God put President Sata and his administration in government coinciding with our Independence Golden Jubilee for the purpose of delivering the long awaited people-driven constitution. Therefore, it is our prayer that he will not miss this once in a life-time opportunity to do the needful namely delivering a just, democratic and durable Republican Constitution.
I thank you all.
God bless Zambia.
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