Back Bencher

Bravo opposition, media for the ATI law

 

Bravo opposition and well wishers for showing resolve and steadfastness on efforts to pass the long awaited Access to Information Bill (ATI).  The Bill was finally passed into law this week after many attempts by government to stop it or butcher it.

I hope President Peter Mutharika will see sense and do the needful by quickly assenting to it as he is expected to.

Let me state here that the DPP would have scored a huge political point had it championed for the passing of this Bill from day one.

 

In fact, there are many things which the DPP would have earned praise for had it implemented its manifesto, one of which would have been the passing of the ATI. Unfortunately, the party only used its manifesto to hoodwink the people. Someone has succinctly put it that the DPP manifesto is but a pack of lies or pure fiction.

For starters, the ATI law allows the public to seek any information from government and obligates public servants ensure that they provide that information or risk hefty fines or jail terms. If government refuses to provide the information or hides some information, the public can report it to the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) for review and enforcement orders.

The passing of the ATI is indeed good for democracy and all Malawians regardless of whether they are in the ruling party or opposition. While the list is long for those who deserve to be patted on the back for a battle well fought to have the bill passed, let me single out former minister and Member of Parliament for Mwanza West Paul Chibingu for fearlessly telling off his fellow DPP MPs when he said there was no need to delay the Bill further. Chibingu said: ‘‘We should not please individuals and should know that today we are in government but tomorrow we will be in opposition’’. Meaning that the ruling party was hell bent on further frustrating the Bill which it heavily butchered when it was first brought to the House. This was after Leader of the House George Chaponda and Minister of Information had unsuccessfully tried to block the bill.

Again let me congratulate the opposition MPs and all those who voted against the sinister moves by the government side to delay the passing of the Bill. This is the unity of purpose that Malawi needs but which is on many occasions in great deficit in the country.

There are many good things to be cherished for passing the Bill. If the Bill had been made into law several years back, there would have been no cashgate which has been responsible for the loss of 30 percent if not more of government resources or at least all the malfeasance we have seen in government would not have happened to the level it has been taking place making the country the poorest if not one of the poorest in the world.

The opposition needs the same unity of purpose and resolve to speedily push for electoral reforms ahead of the next general elections in 2019. High on the agenda should be to push for the removal of the first-past-the-post and that the candidate who wins the presidency should do so with 50 + one or more of the popular votes. Such a system ensures acceptability and makes governance easier. It is clear that the DPP whose leader Peter Mutharika won with a paltry 36 percent of the votes, will want to put spanners in the works, even if the party ropes in the United Democratic Front. And it does not matter which party the reforms favour as long as it is democracy that wins. n

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