Minister of Information and Media and Chief Government Spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa has dismissed allegations suggesting that the government plans to secretly amend the constitution.
In response to growing concerns, particularly from political circles, he clarified that there are no current plans for constitutional amendments.
Mr Mweetwa emphasized that the New Dawn Administration has no intention of making clandestine changes to the constitution.
He explained that in 2022, Members of Parliament engaged in discussions regarding the challenges of interacting with their electorates and addressing governance issues.
During these deliberations, Mr Mweetwa explained, MPs considered potential non-contentious matters that could be addressed through parliamentary procedures without necessitating a full constitutional review or the establishment of a commission.
He said the MPs identified several issues they believed were non-contentious and proposed these to cabinet for consideration.
Among the proposed changes were adjustments to constituency boundaries, the requirement for MPs to engage with local authorities, the reduction of costly by-elections, and the elimination of legal gaps remaining after the 2016 constitutional amendments.
Mr Mweetwa said President Hakainde Hichilema and the cabinet feel there are more pressing matters such as repairing the economy and not amending the constitution.
The government has also reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, urging the media to maintain its role as a custodian of the truth. The Ministry of Information and Media has called on journalists to provide accurate information to the public and resist political manipulation.
