THE importance of our constitution as a fundamental framework for governance cannot be overstate. This doctrine simply means that Government power should be limited, structured and subjected to the rule of law.
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It is a basic reality that democracy best operates in an atmosphere of division and contestation, preferably where ideas are contention.
Sadly the reality is that politics the world over do not provide a neat ideological divide without an underlying logic. Even among the most advanced countries, class, cultural and group affinities continue to dominate political discourse. In the United Kingdom the class struggle is most prominent between Labour and the Conservatives.
Equally the USA the contestation between the GOP and Democratic Party remains deeply rooted in historical antecedents.
It will be folly to assume that our elections are bereft of deeply flawed nuances which include tribalism, regionalism or ethnicism. The only serving grace is that Zambians have come together in critical times to express themselves in unison. These include the elections at independence, elections that removed the one party state and to an extent the elections in 2021.
Zambian youths dominated the 2021 elections because they promised change especially from the ravages of the COVID 19 epidemic which devastated the global economy.
Whether the new dawn Government is responding to youth aspiration is another matter. Clearly most Zambians think we are going the wrong way. While the cause for free education, desks and classroom may have considerable merit, the reality is that issues of deepening poverty, unemployment and inequitable distribution of resources remain paramount and compelling.
Thousands of university graduates, products of the existing education system remain un-employed, because the public service has limited openings and the private sector in general remains sluggish. The impact of CDF on these challenges remains minimal if nonexistent.
Given this scenario serious ideological, existential and even rhetorical contestation will erupt requiring a resilient rule of law of framework to mediate with impartiality.
Indeed the constitution provides the ultimate checks and balances to protect the rights and liberties of all citizens regardless of political affiliation, tribe or indeed any other persuasion.
It is against this background that current misgivings regarding the impartiality of these arms of governance must be addressed with in an open and transparent manner. It is not enough to dismiss the concerns because, at some point these could become major issues of contention that divide the country.
Already the role of the police as a sentinel of the rule of law has come under severe scrutiny. Constitutionalism seeks to limit the powers of government to prevent tyranny or arbitrary rule. This often involves a clear separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, along with checks and balances to prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful.
A stich in time may save our country from catastrophe.
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