Bill 10 Shelved Amid Coronavirus Concerns

The National Assembly has moved to adjourn parliament indefinitely in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, effectively shelving the controversial Constitution Amendment Bill 10 that was due to be debated on Wednesday. 

Yesterday, Speaker of the House Patrick Matbini called on Vice President Ingonge Wine to adjourn the house following reports of two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Zambia.

“Mr Speaker in accordance with standing orders 33 (1) of the National Assembly standing orders 2016 and in view of the Coronavirus I beg to move that the house do now adjourn sine die”, the vice president said.

This followed the news that a Zambian couple had tested positive for the virus after returning from a ten day trip to French with their two children. 

The adjournment has halted all discussions of Bill 10, which was due to be debated that day.

The bill had already suffered a major setback on Tuesday when UPND MPs walked out of the National Assembly in protest at the bill’s reading, skewering the government’s hopes of achieving the necessary two thirds majority to pass the amendments.  

The bill contains several far-reaching provisions which would seek to change aspects of the constitution including the electoral system, dissolution period of the National Assembly, and even the Drug Enforcement Commission.

The UPND have opposed the bill since it was first introduced in 2019, claiming it only serves to further the Patriotic Front’s political ends. 

Leader of the opposition UPND MP Jack Mwiimbu said on Monday “a Constitution is not for a political party. This particular process is not for PF or UPND, this is a process for the people of Zambia … and the people of Zambia have been very loud in their objection to this particular Bill 10”. 

UPND say that the bill was crafted without the consent or advice of the other major political parties, or indeed other state institutions such as the churches or law association. 

The opposition also object to several key elements of the bill, which they argue undermine aspects of Zambian democracy. 

These elements include the reintroduction of deputy ministers, the removal of parliamentary oversight for government borrowing, and removing the Bank of Zambia’s control of monetary policy.  

Furthermore, the bill would remove the requirement for mayors and council chairpersons to be elected by the people in their district, further undermining political accountability.