LINDA NYONDO, Lusaka
THE United Front for Democracy (UFD) has backed Government’s roadmap of amending the constitution in a phased manner by taking non-contentious clauses to parliament and subjecting contentious ones to a referendum.
The UFD, which comprises Christian Democratic Party (CDP), All People’s Congress (APC), People’s Party (PP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and Zambia Direct Democracy Movement (ZDDM), yesterday met Minister of Justice Ngosa Simbyakula and pledged to work with Government in amending the new constitution.
The UFD submitted that the 50 percent plus one vote threshold of electing the President is one of the clauses that they want amended through Parliament.
UFD representative Daniel Pule said in an interview yesterday that the political parties under the umbrella of UFD will lobby Government and contribute to the amendment of the constitution through Parliament.
Dr Pule said UFD does not support calls by some sections of society to amend the constitution through a referendum.
On Wednesday, Dr Simbyakula told journalists in a post-cabinet meeting briefing that Cabinet approved the recommendation to enact the new constitution in a phase manner by taking non-contentious clauses to parliament and subjecting contentious ones to a referendum.