Africa-Press – Zambia. We watched an update from State House in which both the Oasis Forum Chairperson, Ms.Beauty Katebe and President Hakainde Hichilema informed the nation about the progress made to an inconclusive dialogue process regarding the future of the proposed constitutional amendments.
In a brief update, both delegation leaders tried to steady their composure from what we understand to have been a very candid but tense meeting flaring with emotions.
Without disclosing much, the meeting announced that some progress had been made in which the two sides have agreed to scale down on the number of talking heads to a small group that is likely to convene as early as tomorrow.
Insiders say while the Oasis Forum wants Bill 7 withdrawn completely and a new holistic approach started which includes the Bill of Rights, the State is on the other hand proposing to negotiate the content and process.
While heeding widespread outcry to shelve Bill 7 would be the most desirable outcome of this dialogue, the State is hoping to come out with a negotiated end game that allows the ill-fated process to continue.
Constrained with time, the meeting agreed to adjourn the dialogue and task a smaller adhoc committee to focus on agreeing a new process and what sort of content if any, to be absorbed in the Constitutional amendment process.
Concerns are rife that even though the State is calling for dialogue, they seem fixated on wanting to push through with the widely condemned, denounced and rejected Bill 7, which seems to be suggesting a complete overhaul to the governance system.
Stakeholders have expressed concern that even though the State toutes dialogue as the most civilised way to resolve differences, former Republican President Edgar Chagwa Lungu remains unburied over fives months since he passed on in South Africa over a failed dialogue process.
With a sour taste in the mouth over the ECL failed dialogue process, the Oasis Forum must avoid being trapped into another tricky dialogue process where the State might want to dictate its way against the wishes of the citizens.
The most probable compromise and outcome of this dialogue should be to deffer the Constitutional amendment process until after the 2026 elections to give sufficient time to both the content, process and Bill of Rights.
Anything short of that, is laundering ill intentions and masking them in a dialogue camouflage.
For More News And Analysis About Zambia Follow Africa-Press
