Wait... There Might Still Be Life In This
Only the day before yesterday, I was left to lament and rue the inadequacies of our current parliamentary system. This was after the motion moved by the Minister of Finance to increase the domestic borrowing limits for various debt categories was agreed to by parliament.
This was despite some vociferous and very eloquent arguments by the opposition whose speakers included eminent economists like the former Minister of Finance Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane. As unconvincing as the ruling party's case was, you could sense a forlorn sense of resignation as soon as a vote was called. They (ruling party) have a majority in parliament and ended up winning. In short none of the ruling party MPs had the guts to throw party allegiances out of the window and vote with their conscience.
I was left wondering why days had been spent debating the motion when everyone already knew what the outcome would be. I note that this was not the first time controversial motions had gone through simply because of the "arrogance of numbers" that the ruling party has in the National Assembly, effectively reducing parliament into a rubber stamp.
Twenty four hours later it seemed the trend would continue as the Honourable Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba SC ODS (don't ask me what ODS means) delivered the vaguest of ministerial statements on the constitution making process. I have written before on the new constitution and it seems we are nowhere to bringing to an end this exercise in incompetence called "the constitution making process". The statement was so vague, superficial and vacuous even a three year old would have seen right through it. It was one of those typical government responses whose reasoning follows the line "just say something to shut them up".
But alas, the opposition MPs had planned a wicked twist in the script and instead of "shutting up" took both the director and the ruling party actors by surprise. My heart beat rate increased as the chants of "constitution! constitution!" increased with each attempt by the Speaker to bring the house to order. Unfortunately for the speaker, the opposition was in combative mood having earlier won the Katuba parliamentary by-election, rendering all his attempts at restoring order futile.
By the team the ball juggling, almost always out of breath Minister of Sport Chishimba Kambwili was raising a point of order, which was also drowned by the chants, one was left in no doubt that it was going to a be special day in parliament. Honourable Garry Nkombo, the leader of the opposition had already set the tone, the only solution was to suspend parliamentary business and the speaker left with no choice duly obliged.
Let it be said that this constitution making crisis is a self-inflicted one. If it is not for successive governments paying lip service (yet throwing enviable amounts at the process), it has been the current president trivializing the subject and even deriding those calling for this document. Conveniently forgetting his campaign promises.
So today I salute the gallant men and women of the opposition. Who stood up, discarded party affiliations to one side like some filthy cloth and with one voice bellowed "constitution!" like their very lives depended on it (and indeed it just might turn out that all our lives as Zambians depend on this crucial document). In bringing parliamentary business to a halt they demonstrated that Zambians are tired of rhetoric, tired of the blame game and certainly tired of spending on this process.
CONSTITUTION!!!! Its about time.
This was despite some vociferous and very eloquent arguments by the opposition whose speakers included eminent economists like the former Minister of Finance Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane. As unconvincing as the ruling party's case was, you could sense a forlorn sense of resignation as soon as a vote was called. They (ruling party) have a majority in parliament and ended up winning. In short none of the ruling party MPs had the guts to throw party allegiances out of the window and vote with their conscience.
I was left wondering why days had been spent debating the motion when everyone already knew what the outcome would be. I note that this was not the first time controversial motions had gone through simply because of the "arrogance of numbers" that the ruling party has in the National Assembly, effectively reducing parliament into a rubber stamp.
Twenty four hours later it seemed the trend would continue as the Honourable Minister of Justice Wynter Kabimba SC ODS (don't ask me what ODS means) delivered the vaguest of ministerial statements on the constitution making process. I have written before on the new constitution and it seems we are nowhere to bringing to an end this exercise in incompetence called "the constitution making process". The statement was so vague, superficial and vacuous even a three year old would have seen right through it. It was one of those typical government responses whose reasoning follows the line "just say something to shut them up".
But alas, the opposition MPs had planned a wicked twist in the script and instead of "shutting up" took both the director and the ruling party actors by surprise. My heart beat rate increased as the chants of "constitution! constitution!" increased with each attempt by the Speaker to bring the house to order. Unfortunately for the speaker, the opposition was in combative mood having earlier won the Katuba parliamentary by-election, rendering all his attempts at restoring order futile.
By the team the ball juggling, almost always out of breath Minister of Sport Chishimba Kambwili was raising a point of order, which was also drowned by the chants, one was left in no doubt that it was going to a be special day in parliament. Honourable Garry Nkombo, the leader of the opposition had already set the tone, the only solution was to suspend parliamentary business and the speaker left with no choice duly obliged.
Let it be said that this constitution making crisis is a self-inflicted one. If it is not for successive governments paying lip service (yet throwing enviable amounts at the process), it has been the current president trivializing the subject and even deriding those calling for this document. Conveniently forgetting his campaign promises.
So today I salute the gallant men and women of the opposition. Who stood up, discarded party affiliations to one side like some filthy cloth and with one voice bellowed "constitution!" like their very lives depended on it (and indeed it just might turn out that all our lives as Zambians depend on this crucial document). In bringing parliamentary business to a halt they demonstrated that Zambians are tired of rhetoric, tired of the blame game and certainly tired of spending on this process.
CONSTITUTION!!!! Its about time.
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