By 
Peoples Alliance for Change (PAC) leader, Andyford Banda, has called on President Hakainde Hichilema to disband the Technical Committee tasked with consulting citizens and drafting the Constitution.
Banda also urged the President to withdraw Constitutional Bill Number 7, citing time constraints and a lack of broad consultations with stakeholders across the country.
Speaking at a media briefing at the PAC Secretariat in Lusaka on Monday, Banda emphasized the urgency of the matter, noting that the country had only seven months before entering full campaign mode.
“We want to call upon the President Hakainde Hichilema to immediately disband that so-called Technical Committee and we regroup around constitutional reforms after the elections,” he demanded.
The PAC leader questioned why the ruling UPND appeared to be in a hurry to enact the Constitution instead of addressing pressing issues affecting ordinary Zambians, including load shedding, the high cost of living, and rising prices of mealie meal.
“Zambians have already spoken loudly and clearly in their rejection of Bill 7, which they saw as a flawed and politically manipulated attempt to amend the supreme law of the land,” he emphasized.
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Banda reminded the President that the Constitution was not the property of the Executive or politicians but that it belonged to the people of Zambia. He stressed that the constitution-making process must be people-driven, transparent, and participatory, with the government clarifying which budget line would finance the Technical Committee.
“In the spirit of accountability and transparency, we demand that the President disband the so-called Technical Committee because this process is flawed and does not follow the requirements under the current Constitution,” Banda said.
He argued that proper constitutional reforms required wider consultations with all stakeholders, noting that key groups such as the Law Association of Zambia and the Church had been largely excluded.
“Where is the Law Association of Zambia? Where is the church? Where are the political parties? Where are the Zambian people to agree on the process to amend the Constitution?” he asked.
Banda’s comments echo concerns from other stakeholders about the lack of inclusivity and rushed timelines in the current constitutional review process.
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