STATEMENT BY THE GRAND COALITION ON THE CAMPAIGN FOR A PEOPLE DRIVEN CONSTITUTION ISSUED ON JANUARY 9, 2014 AT JCTR Ladies and Gentlemen, compliments of the season and welcome to this media briefing, the first by the Grand Coalition in the Year of the Lord, 2015 being held 11 days before the January 20, 2015 Presidential Election. The reason for calling this media briefing, is to update the nation on the progress made by the Grand Coalition regarding the signing of the Presidential Candidate’s Pledge (Social Contract) by Presidential Candidates from various political parties contesting the forthcoming January 20, 2015 Presidential Election on the need for them to commit in written their commitment to enact a new People Driven Constitution before 2016 General Elections. Before proceeding further, let me correct an impression made this morning by the aide to Honourable Lungu who stated on one of our radio stations that the Grand Coalition is UPND. This, as many of you know, is not true and is an exhibition of dishonesty on the part of the gentleman. If the gentleman cared to investigate who makes up the Grand Coalition he would have discovered that it is a diverse collection of various stakeholders. Chief amongst the stakeholders that make up the Grand Coalition are the following: The Church NGOCC The Islamic Council of Zambia The Law Association of Zambia Students movement Youth Movement The Labour Movement Civil society Movements and some political parties including some who have endorsed the PF candidate. It would help for members of Honourable Lungu’s entourage to establish the true facts before going before the media to misrepresent the public on the true nature of the Grand Coalition. Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me on behalf of the Grand Coalition, to reiterate our demand for a new-people driven constitution and the importance of all presidential candidates to sign this solemn pledge before the Zambian people. This is so because, in 50 years of Zambia’s independence, attempts to have a new constitution have been elusive despite spending billions of kwacha on the various processes. This pledge will bind any presidential candidate who wins the January 20, 2015 election to enact a new constitution by 2016 failure to which s/he will be ready to be held accountable by the citizens and face electoral sanction in 2016 tripartite elections. Ladies and Gentlemen, since we launched the Presidential Candidate’s Pledge campaign in November, 2014, a total of five (5) out of the 11 presidential candidates have signed the pledge. These are: 1. President Edith Nawakwi of the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD); 2. President Nevers Mumba of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) 3. President Elias Chipimo Jr. of the National Restoration Party (NAReP); 4. President Tilyenji Kaunda of the United National Independence Party (UNIP); 5. President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND); Ladies and Gentlemen, those presidential candidates who have yet to sign the Pledge are: 1. President Apostle Rev. Dr. Danny Pule of the Christian Democratic Party (CDP); 2. President Ludwig Sondashi of the Forum for Democratic Alternatives (FDA); 3. President Eric Chanda of the Fourth Revolution Party (4R); and 4. President Brig. General Godfrey Miyanda of the Heritage Party. We encourage these candidates to get in touch with us so that we can facilitate the signing process, through the Grand Coalition Chair Person. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Grand Coalition regret to further announce to the nation those who have refused to respect the demands of the Zambian people on the need for a new constitution by 2016 and have since declined to append their signatures on the Pledge but instead insisted on the Grand Coalition and the entire Zambian population to just trust their lip service are as follows: 1. President Hon. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, MP who is also Minister of Justice and Defence and ruling Patriotic Front (PF) presidential candidate; and 2. President Peter Sinkamba of the Green Party (The Greens) Ladies and Gentlemen, Hon. Lungu MP has categorically told the Grand Coalition that he would not sign the Pledge (social contract) and dared the Grand Coalition to go ahead and de-campaign him if it so wished ahead of the January 20, 2015 Presidential Election. According to him, the stage at which he has reached in his electoral campaigns ahead of the January 20, 2015 is unstoppable to winning the election and does not need to sign a social contract with the Grand Coalition for him to emerge victorious in the forthcoming election. He argues that bowing to signing a Pledge with the Grand Coalition would be sign of electoral blackmail. Surprisingly, the Grand Coalition expected Hon. Lungu MP, being a presidential candidate for the ruling party, to have humbled himself and take the issue of the enactment of a new people driven constitution more seriously than any other presidential candidate especially that his party-the PF-failed to give the Zambian people a new constitution in the three years it has been in power despite making a solemn campaign promise in 2011 and in its manifesto to deliver a new people driven constitution within a period of 90 days. Despite the efforts the Grand Coalition has made to persuade Hon. Lungu, MP and the PF to sign the Pledge, he has arrogantly declined to do so arguing that he has already signed a social contract with the Zambian people on the subject through his public utterances and have assured him of electoral victory come, January 20, 2015. This is contrary to many Zambians’ expectation of the PF Presidential Candidate who they think should have been more apologetic as this is not the first time his PF Party and Government has backpedaled on electoral campaign promise. With regards President Sinkamba, he has also stated that he did not need to sign any social contract with anyone but that the people of Zambia should just trust his words and promise to enact a new constitution once elected. Ladies and gentlemen, after exercising unrestrained patience, the Grand Coalition at its meeting held at JCTR on January 8, 2015 which was necessitated by the refusal by the PF and other presidential candidates to sign the social contract or the Presidential Pledge, had no other option but resolved to launch a “No Constitution, No Vote Campaign” ahead of the January 20, 2015 Presidential Election against presidential candidates who have refused to sign the Presidential Candidate’s Pledge (social contract). Further, the Grand Coalition resolved to publish the signed social contracts in the major newspapers and online media for the electorate and Zambian people in general to know the culprits. To this end, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Grand Coalition has instructed its structures countrywide to start de-campaigning all presidential candidates who have refused to sign the Presidential Candidate’s Pledge with immediate effect. Their refusal is a sign that they cannot be trusted and are not worth to occupy the highest office in the Land, that of the Presidency. It will be a grave mistake for Zambians to put trust in arrogant leaders whose main aim is to ascend to power through deceit using promises they are not ready to be held accountable. If they can arrogantly turn down people’s demand now when they have not even ascended to power, Imagine what they will become once given the instruments of power under this “defective but functional constitution”! You may be required to get permission before you cough or laugh or else the police, if not the cadres, will be unleashed on you. The Grand Coalition recognises that if politicians continue to be handled with kid gloves, the delivery of a new constitution in Zambia will continue to be elusive and a drain on the national treasury at the expense of national development. To this end the Grand Coalition remains undeterred in its resolve to push for the adoption of a new constitution through a referendum and enactment only by the National Assembly by 2016. Therefore, the Grand Coalition warns whoever candidate wins the January 20, 2015 Presidential Election that it will never tolerate any partial amendment to the Constitution as such a move will be met with an equal force of resistance. In conclusion, the Grand Coalition is disturbed by incidents of electoral violence that have characterized the electoral campaigns as the country approaches the election Day. The Grand Coalition demands that political parties exercise leadership by reigning in their cadres and further calls upon the Zambia Police Force to professionally deal with the perpetrators of violence. The continued electoral violence ahead of the January 20, 2015 presidential election has a potential to scare away voters thereby promoting voter apathy. Unless the lip service condemnation of violence by political party leaders is translated into action, the violence is unlikely to end. We therefore, appeal for peace and unity ahead of the presidential election. God bless Zambia, Happy New Year to all. Issued By: Fr Leonard Chiti Grand Coalition Chairperson.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 17:21:30 +0000