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| Wynter Kabimba |
Government has categorically stated that the Draft Republican Constitution currently under debate will be adopted through a referendum.
Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba said in Lusaka yesterday that the Patriotic Front (PF) constitution was clear that the republican constitution should be adopted through a referendum.
Mr Kabimba said the form the referendum would take was, however, dependent on the structure of the draft report adding that Government was yet to constitute a Referendum Commission as doing so now would be too costly.
He said Government would, however, not accept infusion of external ideas into the process and this would be met with the utmost resistance.
He dismissed assertions that the constitution process lacked a legal guiding framework saying the process had so far not been prejudiced by Government influence.
“The constitution process has not been prejudiced by lack of legislation to it, there has not been any government white paper to say what Government wants but the only caveat is that it should be devoid of external influences,” Mr Kabimba said.
He was speaking when he officiated at the launch of a study on political governance in Zambia.
And Government will soon dispatch a team of officials to the United States of America (USA) for a familiarisation study on operations of District Attorneys, Mr Kabimba has said.
President Michael Sata recently said Government would establish District Attorneys in Zambia to accelerate delivery of justice especially in remote areas.
Mr Kabimba said Mr Sata was determined to ensure the District Attorneys were established and that his ministry was also working diligently to materialise the Head of State’s agenda.
He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when visiting USA counselor Jeffrey Minear to that nation’s Chief Justice John Roberts paid a courtesy call on him.
“We are hoping that we fast-truck judiciary reforms. We want to have a justice system that will deliver judgment fast. Soon, our officers will also be going to USA to learn more about District Attorneys,” he said.
And Mr Minear commended Zambians for their continued efforts to formulate the new constitution and was confident the document would be realised.
He called for continuous exchange of expertise citing the case where some officers from Zambia would travel to USA on a study tour of operations of the District Attorneys.
Courtesy of http://www.lusakatimes.com