By Isaac Zulu
Gears Initiative Zambia executive director Mcdonald Chipenzi has urged Zambians to start pushing for the amendment of laws that work against democracy and human rights, such as the Public Order Act, Electoral Commission of Zambia Act and then Chber Security and Crimes Act among others.
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Chipenzi said Zambians must start lobbying the new government to start the process of amending laws that work against democratic and human rights environment.
“We must agitatively continue to interrogate the State and governance systems in order for us to better the country’s democratic and human rights credentials,” Chipenzi further stated. “Inimical laws that compromise the country’s democracy and undermine citizens’enjoyment of their fundamental Constitutional rights and freedoms such as the Public Order Act, NGO Act, Electoral Commission of Zambia Act, Electoral Process Act, Cyber Security and Crimes Act; among other laws must undergo amendments or repeal before 2026 general election.”
He further called for meaningful stakeholder engagement in advocating for true and practical democracy in the country.
“As we said goodbye to the eventful year 2021 with all its uncertainties, joys and sorrows, highs and lows, and welcome the newly dawned 2022 with expectations, GEARS Initiative wishes to appeal to all stakeholders in the governance sector to provide effective checks and balances to achieve transparency, accountability and efficiency in service delivery to citizens by the new dawn government. The push for the realisation of good governance and the pursuit of genuine democracy must be top on the national agenda,” stated Chipenzi. “The governance stakeholders’ engagement in the year 2022 should be more meaningful, fruitful and progressive and, must hit the ground running in advocating for true and practical democracy in the country.”
He stated that he supported calls by the UPND government to embark on Constitutional reforms.
Chipenzi called for the resumption of advocacy on the stalled Bill of Rights and the failed Constitutional amendments.
“The advocacy for the resumption of works on the stalled Bill of Rights and holding of the National Referendum and the failed Constitutional amendments of the Constitution in the previous administration must start now. The actualisation of the Political Parties Bill into an Act of Parliament and fully operationalisation of Article 60 of the Zambian Constutiion must be prioritised before the election year 2026,” Chipenzi stated. “Zambia needs a cleaned up Republican Constitution in order to guide the operations of the State and government properly. The clean up must anchor on dealing with many lacunas that are in the Constitution to avoid the many misinterpretations of it by lawyers, citizens and judges.”
