Scott Not For Running Mate Clause
VICE-President, Guy Scott has expressed doubt over the running mate clause proposed in the Draft Republican Constitution being workable in Zambia.
The first Draft Constitution has recommended that the Republican President and his vice should be running mates in an election.
Dr Scott, however, said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government would not influence Zambians on their input to the Draft Constitution.
Speaking when he featured on Musi-Oa-Tunya Radio in Livingstone on Saturday night, Dr Scott said his remarks on the presidential running mate clause were personal.
“We are not forcing clauses in the first Draft Constitution on people. I have my doubts on the Presidential Running Mate Clause. This is my personal opinion,” he emphasised.
The Vice-president yesterday left Livingstone for Lusaka after a two-day working visit.
On the Parentage Clause, Dr Scott said a lot of Zambians were excluded in the current Constitution and he was happy that the first Draft Constitution had removed a clause which excluded many Zambians on account of parentage.
He said he was an interested party in the Parentage Clause because he was currently one of the many Zambians who were excluded on the basis of the existing Constitution.
Asked on why he had not acted as President whenever President Michael Sata was out of the country, Dr Scott said it was the prerogative of the Head of State to appoint who should act at any particular time.
On the election of Dr Nevers Mumba as MMD president, Dr Scott said the former ruling party had a lot to do to redeem its credibility.
He said Dr Mumba would just be there with a few people in his party even if he had been elected as MMD president.
Dr Scott also said the PF Government had made several efforts to create jobs for Zambians while commercial bank interest rates had been reduced.
PF Southern Province chairperson, Joseph Akafumba, said he had applied to re-contest the parliamentary seat.
Mr Akafumba said he would abide by the decision of the PF Central Committee on whether to adopt him or not.
He also defended the decision by Dr Scott to donate K13 million to Livingstone’s Potters Market, saying the market needed funds for development.
Meanwhile, the Vice-President has supported calls for the mining companies to consider processing copper into final products locally as opposed to exporting raw products.
Dr Scott said it was the desire of the PF Government to add value to local products as much as possible.
He, however, said the challenge to value-addition was on how far the process could be enhanced practically.
Speaking at a media briefing at Royal Livingstone Hotel yesterday, Dr Scott said the Government would like to encourage companies to invest in processing plants.
Dr Scott also said the concern of the PF Government was to ensure tax compliance to the existing tax structure as opposed to reintroducing a windfall tax in the mining sector.
“There is no need to change the tax formula for the mines, but our concern is to ensure tax compliance. If the current tax system was compliant, there would be no calls for the reintroduction of windfall tax,” he said.
Dr Scott also said there was under-development in Livingstone despite the city being the country’s tourist capital.
He said although visitors at Sun International Hotel were given newspapers from around the world and the hotel environment looked like that of South Africa, people outside the premises were living in abject poverty.
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