Zambia's Post Newspaper Comes Under Fire For Stance On Constitutional Reform

26 September 2007

In the newspaper�s September 17, 2007, edition Kunda referred to former president Frederick Chiluba as one of the main architects of the current constitutional problems, and asked, �� is it not a contradiction that [editor] Fred M�membe and the Press Freedom Committee of The Post wittingly or unwittingly should be working with Dr. Chiluba? The Post newspaper has a great influence on this process and it would appear The Post charts the Oasis [Forum] agenda.�

The Post, in the edition of September 16, 2007, quoted Chiluba as saying that civil society groups had a right to demand a good Constitution.

The Oasis Forum has been critical of government�s approach towards making a new Constitution, accusing it of trying to dilute the wide-ranging proposals made by the Constitution Review Commission in 2005, which included adopting the draft Constitution through a Constituent Assembly.

The Post has sided with individuals and groups demanding that the draft Constitution be adopted by a Constituent Assembly.

But Samson Mujuda, deputy editor of The Post, said the paper does not view the minister�s remarks as threatening.

�The remarks show his ignorance,� he said, explaining that the paper had criticised Chiluba�s attempt to change the Constitution to allow him to serve a third term. �Everybody knows our position with Chiluba.�

BACKGROUND

Zambia has been divided over the Constitution-making process with the recent enactment of the National Constitutional Conference Act, which government intends to use to adopt a new Constitution.

However, critics say the Constitutional Conference will give government and politicians an in-built majority over civil society and other groups, meaning that the views of government would prevail in the Constitution-making process.

On September13, 2007, a number of organisations, including the Oasis Forum, announced that they would boycott the Constitutional Conference if government does not follow the recommendations of the Constitution Review Commission, that the draft Constitution should be adopted through a Constituent Assembly followed by a referendum.

However, government has argued that the draft Constitution can be adopted by the Constitutional Conference, and then taken to Parliament for enactment. There is a provision, however, that the draft Constitution can be subjected to a referendum for final adoption if the Constitutional Conference so wishes.

Ends

Source: MISA