A document demanding that the Barotse Agreement be reinstated in the draft constitution has sparked huge debate at the on-going national convention in Lusaka.
The document signed by a Mr. Bernard Silumesii, states that any refusal by the delegates to incorporate the Barotse Agreement in the draft constitution will mean that Zambians are asking people from Barotse land not to be part of Zambia.
The document has further stated that since the delegates have agreed that Zambia should remain a unitary state, then it should accommodate the Barotse Agreement.
Breeze FM Staffer, Isaac Ngoma reports that the document, whose copies were circulated among delegates, put a temporary halt to business at the convention.
And contributing to the debate, former vice president, Brigadier General Godfrey Muyanda has advised against putting demands in the document to a vote because it can create further problems.
General Muyanda says issues surrounding the Barotse Agreement should be addressed by government outside the draft constitution.
By News time, Chairperson of the National Constitution Conference Professor, Muyunda Mwanalushi ruled that the matter be deferred to a later time after thematic groups finish making their submissions.
Meanwhile delegates at the national convention have numinously upheld the declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation in the draft constitution.
The upholding of the declaration is however, with amendments to paragraph two of the preamble, where they have replaced ‘but upholding’ with ‘while upholding’.
The delegates have also resolved that freedom fighters be recognised in the preamble of the draft constitution.
And in support of the motion, former MMD, Movement for Multi-Party Democracy national secretary, Katele Kalumba said that it was important because some freedom fighters have died without seeing any incentives.
And former republican vice president, Brigadier General Godfrey Muyanda said that there is need to enshrine the recognition of freedom fighters in the preamble but that the benefits be left to government policy.