Zambia’s Chief Government Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, has stated that most of the 11,800 submissions received by the technical committee on Bill 7 support the proposed constitutional amendments. Mweetwa also called on the Non-governmental Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) to end what he described as hypocrisy. He noted that while the organization advocates for more women in the National Assembly through NGOCC, it opposes the amendments through the Oasis Forum.
He reported that during the Technical Committee’s public consultations, there was widespread agreement on the issues in Bill 7 without significant opposition. According to Mr. Mweetwa, no one argued to keep the existing provisions on petitions or Article 52 in their current form, with everyone agreeing they needed revision.
Speaking on Hot FM’s Hot Seat programme, Mr. Mweetwa said the citizens who made submissions unanimously supported the proposed amendments. He described the proposed clauses as targeted and uncontroversial, clarifying that the amendment process was initiated by Members of Parliament, particularly those representing large constituencies.
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