Legal advisors fail Sata

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:12:21 +0000

he clarification by the Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) that there is no law mandating the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to consult any authority  let alone the President when investigating senior government officials is an eye opener to the President with regards to the understanding and intentions of his legal advisors.

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) has agreed with and supported LAZ’s observations on the provisions of the ACC Act and operations of the ACC.

FODEP executive Director Mac Donald Chipenzi said it was common knowledge that once the ACC started consulting the President whether or not to carry out any investigations on erring senior party or government officials this would definitely lead to selective justice and prosecutions.

“FODEP would also like to note with grave concern that Zambian authorities are standing akimbo when the Zambia Police Force is extensively and intentionally exploiting and abusing the provisions of the Public Order Act to stifle opposition and multiparty politics in Zambia.”

He challenged government to immediately intervene and stop the mutilation of people’s freedoms by the police and defend Zambia’s fledging democracy.

Mr Chipenzi said the arbitrary arrests and detentions of political leaders by the police was a cost to government.

“One wonders why the police seem to be hypersensitive to divergent views thus raising suspicions that they are being used by government. But why should the government spend resources and time on pursuing political opponents at the expense of resolving challenges currently facing the country such as persistent load shedding, shortages of mealie meal and escalating prices of consumer goods and services? He asked.

Mr Chipenzi described the continued harassment of the opposition political parties as an assault to multiparty democracy.

“This is undemocratic and a violation of the fundamental freedoms such as freedom of assembly, movement, association and expression as enshrined in the current Republican Constitution and which the Mr Chipenzi said there was nothing wrong with the MPs visiting people they were representing in the house of law.

“Government must tell the nation who will be representing the people of Zambia if the MPs are harassed after visiting their areas, and who should talk on behalf of voiceless?” he asked.

He said MPs were contrivers of law and had a right to visit people because they were the ones on whose behalf they were speaking for.

“FODEP’s appealed to the PF government is to dedicate most of its energy on issues that will help lift the living standards of the people such as job creation and improving the standard of living while upholding good governance as contained in the party manifesto,” said Chipenzi.