AFRICA/ZAMBIA - "The people of Zambia have spoken: they want a new constitution before presidential and parliamentary elections in 2011” say the Catholic Bishops

Lusaka (Agenzia Fides)- “The people of Zambia have spoken: they want a new constitution before presidential and parliamentary elections in 2011” says a statement signed on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Zambia by Archbishop Telesphore George-Mpundu of Lusaka president of the Bishops' Conference.
“Bearing in mind that the Catholic tradition views participation in the political process as a moral obligation, - the statement reads - we, the Catholic Bishops meeting in our Extended Board Meeting, of 8th May 2007 deliberated and noted, with great dismay, the current impasse that now surrounds the process towards a new Republican Constitution”.
The Bishops emphasise the necessity for a new Constitution because “forty-three years after our independence, the country is in dire need of an inclusive constitution that will not only stand the test of time but also empower our people to answer the numerous challenges that we face as a nation. More than ever before, Zambia needs a constitution that will give rise to a positive political transformation of our country”.
The statement recalls the ongoing efforts of the local Church to help the country give itself a new fundamental charter: “Over the years, as Catholic Bishops, we have listened to the cries of our people; we have even made written submissions to one Constitution Review Commission after another; participated in various fora discussing the constitution; urged our many capable Zambian scholars to unravel all the difficulties impeding the processes towards a new and progressive constitution”. On the basis of experience the Bishops say they have come to came to the following conclusions: firstly, “ the people have spoken loudly and clearly through submitting to the Mung'omba CRC - and that our people have unambiguously made up their minds that they want a NEW constitution not mere amendments to the current one”; secondly, “ Secondly, it is now clear that for the good of this nation, the Constitution issues and those of the Electoral Act must be settled well before the 2011 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.”; thirdly, “ our country is losing out on development by unnecessarily prolonging the enactment of a new constitution”.
Underlining the necessity to accelerate the process of constitutional reform involving the whole of Zambian society the statement concludes: “ We as the Catholic Bishops, together with the Church and the nation at large, are ready to give full support to this approach because anything short of this approach will only lead to more tension and increased polarisation and confrontation in our land. Our people deserve better”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 18/5/2007 righe 34 parole 409)