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Zambia: 'Secretary to the Cabinet Should Appoint Select Committee'
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The Times of Zambia (Ndola)
6 August 2008
Posted to the web 6 August 2008
The governance committee of the National Constitutional Conference (NCC) yesterday resolved that the secretary to the Cabinet should appoint the select committee to recruit members of the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).
This followed debate on Article 104 (1) of the draft Constitution, which states that the President shall constitute an ad hoc selection committee for the purpose of recruiting and selecting persons for appointment as members of the ECZ.
Two weeks ago, the committee chaired by Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) president, Stanley Mhango, failed to resolve the matter, prompting it to defer the matter to yesterday.
UNIP vice-president, Njekwa Anamela, said that the secretary to the Cabinet would be appropriate to make the appointments as he or she was more or less a secretary to the president.
Mr Anamela said the secretary to the Cabinet would merely initiate the process but ultimately the president would have a hand in ensuring that suitable candidates were recruited.
Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) president, Andrew Sakala, agreed with Mr Anamela saying the president would ultimately be involved in the process as he had the final say.
Earlier, Mr Charles Mwape, argued that instead of the president or the secretary to the Cabinet appointing the committee, the Judicial Service Commission should take up the responsibility.
Mr Mwape said that the commission should appoint the ad hoc committee and the appointees ratified by Parliament before the president finally writes the appointment letter to the deserving office bearers.
University of Zambia (UNZA) lecturer, Bizeck Phiri, supported Dr Mwape saying the move would enhance transparency.
Professor Phiri said that the process should not start and end with the president but that he should only be involved at the end.
But Isoka West MP, Paul Sichamba (MMD), argued that the recommendations by the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) that the president appoint the committee should not be changed because there was nothing wrong with it.
Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Grace Njapau and Bob Litana supported Mr Sichamba.
Mr Mhango later asked all the delegates to make final contributions on the matter and the majority was of the view that the secretary to the Cabinet should be the appointing authority.
Despite the matter not being subjected to a vote, Mr Mhango said 13 were of the view that the Judicial Service Commission should appoint the committee, 19 the Secretary to the Cabinet and three supported the recommendation of the CRC.
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Mr Mhango said that as a result, the committee was proposing that the word president in the Article be replaced with secretary to the Cabinet.
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