UPND arrogant, undemocratic – Laura
By George Zulu
THE ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) is arrogantly passing laws whose aim is to constrain citizen rights, former Human Rights Commission (HRC) commissioner Laura Miti has said.
She said this in her write-up rating the performance of the UPND and President Hakainde Hichilema in comparison with the Patriotic Front (PF) and former president Edgar Lungu yesterday.
Miti said Hichilema had scored a paltry four out of 10 marks on governance.
She said Hichilema had scored positive on reducing the power of and the presence of political cadres in public places.
Miti said the current administration had also ensured that civil society were working freely and no meetings were being disrupted by cadres.
“If I were to rate how different the UPND government, under HH, has been from the PF, under EL, purely on governance, I would give the current administration 4/10. President Hichilema’s government’s main achievements in my view are exponentially reducing the power, and especially presence, of party cadres in citizens’ everyday life. That is huge and highly commendable. If one works in civil society, normalcy has also returned to everyday work life. Meetings are not being disrupted by cadres or lodges canceling paid for events at the last minute because the DC [district commissioner] or some random power has threatened the lodge,” she said.
Miti said under the UPND government there were no ministers threatening people with unspecified physical attack as it were under Lungu.
“We do not have ministers threatening to break citizens’ bones, figuratively and literally. A return to orderliness in state gatherings etc,” she said.
However, Miti noted with sadness the high levels of arrogance and failure to address corruption to be the downfall of the UPND.
“Unfortunately, that is where the progressive changes end. Sadly, this government is the same with the last on the following critical failings: trying to pass a constitution that is ostensibly for the good of the country, but so randomly ambushed on the citizens as to be clearly aimed at passing provisions that guarantee its own stay in office and benefit those in the corridors of power,” she said.
Miti said the UPND under Hichilema was arrogantly passing laws whose aim was to constrain citizen rights.
“Arrogance of power – doing things because it can. Keeping information that citizens need to understand what is going on secret – the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) report on delimitation, for example. No reason why it is not in the hands of citizens,” Miti said.
She said the UPND had failed to fight corruption within its rank and file.
“Failing to address corruption within its own ranks or prevent runaway theft of public resources, as shown in government’s own audits – while going on and on about corruption in the previous administration. Failing to show that institutions that should operate independently are actually doing so,” said Miti.
She said she decided to make the comparison because it was the basis on which the UPND insisted to be evaluated on.
“Oh, by the way, the reason I am comparing this government to the last is because it is the basis on which everyone in it insists on evaluating its success,” she said.
