By MUKWIMA CHILALA
STAKEHOLDERS have received with mixed feelings Parliament’s attempt to abolish the death penalty, with some saying it may cause some constitutional crisis.
The Criminal Procedure Code Bill number 24 of 2022 which aims at among others abolish the defamation of the President and death penalty on Thursday passed the second reading in Parliament
But Patriotic Front (PF) acting president Given Lubinda says this piece of legislation can only be amended through the referendum as it is part of section 5 of the constitution which cannot be tempered with through Parliament.
Mr Lubinda says whatever Parliament is trying to do is a smokescreen and will bring about constitutional problems in the future.
And Governance activist Isaac Mwanza says in as much as Parliament is mandated to change any part of the law in Zambia, the death penalty should have the involvement of Zambians through a referendum.
Mr Mwanza says this is the surest way of ensuring that Zambians have a say on the matter.
But Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) president Mwenda Mumbuna says there is nothing wrong with abolishing the two pieces of legislation through Parliament because people have for a long time been concerned about them.
Mr Mumbuna says Zambians have for a long time made it clear that they are not happy with the said pieces of legislation.
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