Constitution-Making Process Has Remained Elusive Over the Years- NGOCC

By Fridah Nkonde-Mubanga

Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) Executive Director Anne Mbewe-Anamela says the constitution-making process has remained elusive over the years.

Speaking during the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Consultative Meeting on the Constitution Review Process and the Inclusion of the Expanded Bill of Rights, Ms. Mbewe-Anamela said civil society remained a key stakeholder in advocating for a durable constitution.

“The constitution-making process has remained elusive over the years. While Zambians have been yearning for a truly people driven constitution that embodies the aspirations of the citizens, the various attempts have not been successful as partisan interests took precedence over the interests of the nation at large. Successive governments have continued to hijack the process despite promising to facilitate an all-inclusive process,” Ms. Mbewe Anamela said.

“A durable constitution is a very fundamental document in facilitating sustainable development. Though noting the constitutional amendments undertaken in 2016, the constitution remains with some lacunas. For instance, we recall the arguments post the 2016 elections about the 14 days electoral appeal process. The debate around the 14 days was protracted because of the ambiguity of the constitution.”

She said the constitutional challenge was further compounded with the non-inclusion of the expanded bill of rights following the failed national referendum of 2016.

“It is against this background that NGOCC with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has organized this consultative meeting. This consultative meeting has brought together civil society actors to rethink how best we can engage the citizens and indeed the government on the constitution-making process,” Ms. Mbewe Anamela said.

“More specifically, the consultative meeting also aims at enhancing a coordinated approach towards advocacy on the respect of the rule of law, human rights and coordination of advocacy actions for a national referendum on the bill of rights. In its current strategic plan, NGOCC in collaboration with key civil society partners hopes to engage in actions to hold the ‘New Dawn’ administration accountable to uphold citizen’s fundamental rights as part of the tenants of democracy, good governance and constitutionalism. It is our hope therefore that from this meeting we can have a clear advocacy plan and strategy to engage the government towards a truly people driven constitution that will embody their aspirations.”