By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
FOLLOWING discussions among various stakeholders, the Zambia Centre for Inter-Party Dialogue (ZCID) has been appointed to spearhead the political dialogue that was initiated by the Commonwealth.
ZCID executive director Monica Kanjimana said in an interview that following discussions with the Commonwealth special envoy for political dialogue Ibrahim Gambari and Professor Gambari’s discussions with others, it was agreed that the process should be led by the ZCID.
Ms Kanjimana said the ZCID would take a leading role while Prof Gambari would assume a facilitation role.
She said the process should not be seen as political dialogue only but one that would facilitate for political reforms in the country.
Ms Kanjimana said she was happy President Edgar Lungu and others suggested that the ZCID should take the leading role.
This was because the process required a home-grown solution because it was a national problem.
ZCID would work with the church, traditional leaders, interest groups and political parties.
“We are excited about this process because it includes facilitation of political reforms and constitutional reforms so that political players are more tolerant of each other in order to ensure that Zambia develops,” Ms Kanjimana said.
She urged Zambians to have confidence in the process, saying it was aimed at constructive and practical changes and not just promises that ended up being abrogated.
Ms Kanjimana called on political party leaders to demonstrate patriotism by putting aside party and personal interests during the process.
She said the public should be assured that ZCID was a neutral platform and so it would not exhibit bias towards any political player.
Ms Kanjimana said all Zambians should support the process because it was aimed at achieving political growth that would translate into a developed Zambia.
She said a number of events had been lined up, which should start in the second week of December.
Last week, Prof Gambari said in a statement after meeting stakeholders that the dialogue process should commence in January 2018 and that it should be led and owned by Zambians.
President Edgar Lungu on Saturday in a meeting with the envoy said the dialogue process was not about him and the United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema alone but about Zambia and that the ZCID should lead the process.
The House of Chiefs also said they wanted to participate in the process and that it should be led by a Zambian entity.