Dipak Patel goes after govt
DIPAK Patel, a Hindu of Indian origin, who called president Levy Mwanawasa a cabbage because of alleged mental incapacity has alleged that government breached the constitution by failure or neglect to obtain prior approval from Parliament before approving and signing any debt agreements.
Together with Edith Nawakwi, Patel worked with Post Newspaper Fred M’membe to call former president Chiluba a thief, has taken the State to the Constitutional Court.
In a witness statement former Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has testified to the Constitutional Court that Article 63(2) (d) of the amended Constitution, provides for the National Assembly to approve all public debts before they are contracted.
And former Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Dipak Patel has insisted that government’s failure or neglect to obtain prior approval from Parliament before approving and signing any debt agreements is illegal and in breach of the Constitution.
This is a matter in which Patel who is former Lusaka Central member of parliament has petitioned the Constitutional Court over government’s alleged failure to obtain prior approval from the National Assembly before approving and signing any debt agreements.
Mr Patel has cited the Minister of Finance and Attorney General as first and second respondents, respectively.
He is seeking a declaration that the respondents’ failure to present all loans contracted and sought to be contracted on behalf of government to the National Assembly for prior approval, is in breach of the Constitution.
Mr Patel also wants an order compelling the respondents to present to Parliament, within 14 days of the Judgment of the Court or within such other timeframe that the court may prescribe, a full and complete statement of the state of public debt contracted from 2016 to date including the terms and conditions of the loans.