By CATHERINE NYIRENDA –

THE Grand Coalition has said it will commence sensitisation campaigns countrywide to explain the content of the final draft Constitution to the public.
The Coalition is a consortium of (Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Student and labour movements, church, political parties and other activists interested in the enactment of the new people driven constitution.
Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) vice president Linda Kasonde said the coalition would engage members and stakeholders countrywide to explain the importance of the Constitution to be adopted through a referendum.
Ms Kasonde said yesterday during the media breakfast meeting held at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka that the only way that the new Zambian Constitution should be enacted was through the referendum and not piece meals.
“We have been through this process before and it never worked out well and we believe that if the Constitution is not adopted through a referendum it is bound to fail again,” Ms Kasonde said.
She noted that approving the Constitution through Parliament was another process that would fail as voting in the House was on party lines.
Oasis Forum Chairperson Cleophus Lungu said during the same discussion that the enactment of the Constitution should not just be the preserve of the few politicians but for all the Zambians.
Fr Lungu who is also Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) secretary general said the Constitution should be treated as a sacred document as it was the tool for empowerment of the people.
“Subjecting the Constitution to piece meal (processes) will not help at all as this has failed in the past, so is taking the document to Parliament which is also one way of sidelining the people of Zambia,” Fr Lungu said.
Zambia National women’s Lobby (ZNWL) life member Grace Matuka said politicians should not take Zambians for granted.
She also called for consistency among the leaders on the Constitution making process and not to shift goal posts on its enactment.