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Dear
JCTR Bulletin Readers:
A clear “roadmap” in attaining national development, such as the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP), is cardinal in any country. This demands a well-articulated accompanying vision with explicit long-term and short-term goals. In the absence of these goals, the nation risks moving in a direction where those with political power could take advantage of the situation, especially of the poor -- a sad situation indeed!
However, it has been observed over the years by a range of stakeholders that the current Constitution is inadequate to support real development. Therefore, for the FNDP to effectively meet its targets there is need for a comprehensively revised Constitution that clearly defines the roles, rules, rights and responsibilities of the government (always at the service of the people) and the citizenry (whose cooperation is indispensable), so that the plan is implemented smoothly. In other words, the new Constitution must put in place the legal environment that protects and defends the facilitation of the nation’s vision.
At the present, despite consensus by all that poverty must be fought, there seems to be no urgency by the political leadership to put in place this legal framework needed to achieve maximum impacts. Quite evidently, constitutional review process has been “dragged” too much -- the longest so far in the history of constitutional development in Zambia. Until now, Zambia is still striving to put in place a widely acceptable “timeframe” dealing with the legal and financial constraints to bring about a new Constitution. Nevertheless, the fight for a new Constitution remain a national priority, and yet a highly “contentious” unfinished exercise!
Complete Letter... |
