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POLITICS
, see ANB-BIA, nr 357, 1998, ), says that in a democracy, power should be vested in the people. AVAP‘s executive director, Bonnie Tembo, argues that those entrusted with directing the nation’s affairs and who stride the corridors of power, should always remember to look beyond these same corridors in order to be closer to the silent majority i.e. the great Zambian public.The public, (in parliamentary terms referred to as «strangers»)
can now easily visit the National Assembly and listen to Parliamentary debatesIn the past, it was not so easy, as «strangers» had to wear proper attire before being granted access to the Chamber in order to listen to debates. These days, for those who can’t make it to Parliament, there’s always the possibility, if they live in Lusaka or within a 50 kilometres radius, to tune in to live radio broadcasts of debates whilst Parliament is in session.
In the past, it was unheard of for Parliament to make citizens privy to its discussions in the Chamber. The only time that Zambians could watch their elected officials live, was either at the official opening of Parliament by the President or when the Minister of Finance presented the nation’s national budget.
All these reforms are being spearheaded by the National Assembly’s Speaker, Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, who took over in 1995. This, in spite of the Reforms Committee having been constituted in 1992, a year after Zambia chose a multi-party system of government.
Another Parliamentary reform includes opening for the first time a Parliamentary website.
In supporting the reforms, a non-governmental organisation, the Anti Voter Apathy Project (AVAP
«Parliament should serve as the source of best practices in a democracy. We believe that Parliamentary reforms will bring Parliament to the doorsteps of the electorate,» Mr Tembo said.
Constituency offices
A further reform is a pilot project to set up various kinds of constituency offices throughout the country. The offices are intended to act as information centres, enabling the electorate to have personal contact with their Member of Parliament (MP) concerning the needs of the constituency. There will be four options in the pilot project. 1) A fixed constituency office. 2) A fixed constituency office with toll-free telephone number. 3) Financing of free MP travel throughout the constituency. 4) A mobile office with satellite communications. Canada, Ireland, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United States are financing the project, having signed an agreement with the NGO, PACT Zambia.
Dr Sam Chipungu is the National Advisor on Parliamentary Reform. He says the constituencies picked to pilot the establishment of constituency offices will be evaluated in May 2004, with a view to selecting an appropriate model, whereby Parliament can choose the kind of office Members want to have in their respective constituencies.
The Parliamentary reform programme started as far back as 1992. Dr Chipungu, who was a member of the Parliamentary Reform Committee in 1992, explained that at that time there was no political will to implement recommended changes. «Now I think have an administration which is serious about reform. President Mwanawasa himself says he is eager to see the reform take root». During his first official opening of Parliament in January 2002, President Mwanawasa bemoaned the fact that the National Assembly was alienated from the electorate. He called on the Speaker, Mr Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, to embark on reform to bring the electorate closer to Parliament.
The House of Chiefs
It is interesting to note another development in the way a section of important non-parliamentarians must be allowed to have their say in the nation’s affairs. It concerns the House of Chiefs which was abolished by Frederick Chiluba (Zambia’s President from 1991 to 2001). Zambia’s first President, Kenneth Kaunda had first established the House of Chiefs. Now President Mwanawasa has set his eyes on re-establishing this organ of traditional government and says it will be operational before the end of this year. He has appointed Coillard Chibbonta, a former Livingstone City Council Chief Executive, as Clerk to the House. About 27 chiefs, three from each of Zambia’s nine provinces, are expected to sit in the newly-established House. During a tour of Northern Zambia, President Mwanawasa had come to realise that it was difficult to truly implement the desires of traditional rulers because they did not have a forum in which to air their official views.