Mon, 08 Jan 2018 14:46:49 +0000
By AARON CHIYANZO
PRESIDENT Michael Sata’s attempts to initiate radical constitutional changes were thwarted when “someone” swapped the speech he was supposed to deliver to Parliament in 2014 and replaced it with a watered down but longer version, which he refused to read.
However, late president Sata’s former press aide, George Chellah insists there was nothing sinister in the speech.
In the abridged speech, the Head of State had intended to propose that Presidential powers be devolved to a prime minister and as well institute electoral reforms to include proportional representation for parliamentarians. To obviate the expense of by elections.
The longer speech which he was supposed to read did not have reference to these radical changes.
In the speech, Mr Sata is supposed to have told Parliament that “Let us divorce our partisan and personal interests from the Constitution which we should all ensure is a credible legacy to many generations to come.”
But Mr Chellah contends that, “To suggest that president Sata’s speech was swapped is being less than truthful and unfair because nothing of that sort happened, and to insist on this claim, is to insult president Sata’s intellect especially that anybody who worked closely with him can attest to the fact that president Sata was a detailed and methodical man who insisted to have his draft speeches two weeks before the event.”
He was responding to former Finance minister Alexander Chikwanda’s assertions that the speech was swapped for some unknown reasons, thereby curtailing the president’s desire to spell out major reforms.
Mr Chikwanda suggests that President Sata’s attempts to effect constitutional changes were stopped by the cartel when someone swapped the speech he was supposed to deliver to parliament in 2014 and replaced it with a watered down but longer version which he failed to read.
The fundamental question that remains unanswered is why the President was given a wrong speech which he struggled to read, and who might have swapped the speech.
In the initial speech, the former President was supposed to give consideration to the executive Presidency in relation to the distribution of power, and checks and balances.
President Sata’s primary concern was that Presidents had not always acted with the moral restraint expected of them in the not too distant past.
He stated in the initial speech that it was therefore not inexpedient for the country to consider separating the executive functions of the Presidency by reassigning the functions to another office such as prime minister.
He also wanted to address the current excessively costly electoral system, which he said consumed inordinate resources that should be deployed to poverty alleviation programmes.
President Sata was supposed to propose less costly alternatives to electoral system like proportional presentation.
He explained that seats were distributed equitably, fairly and precludes unsustainable costs implicit in by-elections under this system.
“My considered advice to the Zambian people is that we should take time to effect changes to the constitution that will stand the litmus test of time. Let us divorce our partisan and personal interests from the constitution which we should all ensure is a credible legacy to many generations,” the speech reads in part.
President Sata further assured that he was only sharing reflections from a position of trust and wider experience that he was entrusted with as the prerogative to design the constitution was reposed in the Zambian people.
