Cadres Disrupt LAZ Bill 10 Debate

Cadres disrupted a public debate on Bill 10 on Monday. The individuals, who are yet to be identified, interrupted the proceedings at the event convened by the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka.

Commenting on the incident LAZ Eddie Mwitwa stated that it is disappointing to see cadres ferried to disrupt proceedings. While the PF Member of Parliament for Kabwe Tutwa Ngulube claimed the cadres were from Southern Province, UPND member Cornelius Mweetwa said they were PF members.

The UPND is among those to object to the contents of the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill No. 10 on the basis that it strengthens the existing powers of the executive and President to the detriment of Zambia’s democracy.

Among the most contentious and concerning provisions in the Bill are the re-introduction of deputy ministers, the permitting of ministers to stay in office during elections and scope for interference in the appointment of judges. All of which opposition and civil society claim are designed not to benefit the citizenry, but to strengthen the PF’s grip on power ahead of elections next year.

 The Bill also contains some worrisome provisions relating to Government’s economic and financial management, giving the President the power to contract debt without requiring parliamentary approval. This has served as another red flag ahead of elections.

 “If Bill 10 becomes law, there is a great danger that our democracy will be weakened, our separation of powers will be weakened, and then, there will be Executive powers that will be enhanced, which will cause an imbalance in the way the governance system is supposed to be,” Mwitwa has previously stated.

 The divisive Bill No. 10 of 2019 has been championed by Government as a necessary measure to address lacunas in the existing Constitution, but has been virulently opposed by several opposition parties and civil society organisations.