.KABIMBA

By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –

JUSTICE Minister Wynter Kabimba has said opposition Members of Parliament (MP) are using a wrong institution to demand the release of the draft Constitution.
Mr Kabimba said the MPs should actually take responsibility for the delay in the release of the draft Constitution through their action to demand for it in Parliament.
He said had the opposition MPs not resorted to demanding for the draft constitution through Parliament, Government could have made remarkable progress on the matter last week.
“If the opposition MPs had not resorted to the avenue of demanding the Constitution through a wrong institution, I have no doubt that we would have made remarkable progress in this matter last week. Consequently, they should take responsibility for this delay,” Mr Kabimba said during a Press briefing at his office in Lusaka yesterday.
He said the MPs knew well that the Constitution-making process was not the responsibility of the Speaker until the Executive arm of Government presents the document to Parliament.
He said in accordance with the Laws of Zambia, the Speaker did not have any power to order the Executive to take such a Bill to the House.
The minister said the members were also aware that to disrupt the proceedings of Parliament was not only against the standing orders of the House but also an offence under the law.
“Members of Parliament know very well that to besiege the Speaker and heckling at him, while in the chair as presiding officer is contemptuous of the authority of the Speaker and it also undermines the integrity of Parliament. As such, there can be no justification for such unruly behaviour whatsoever,” he said.
He said Government was shocked with the people supporting the misconduct of the MPs and praising them as heroes.
“These are the same groups of stakeholders who preach democracy and the rule of law to our people when it suits them,” he said.
He said the misconduct by the opposition MPs should be condemned by all well- meaning Zambians.
He said until a new constitution was enacted, the three arms of Government would still rest on the provisions of the current Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Opposition MPs have disrupted parliamentary proceeding demanding for the release of the draft Constitution following a ministerial statement by Mr Kabimba in the House on the progress on the matter.