Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi
The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says it is criminal to deny citizens to participate in the governance process of the country whose supreme law is founded on Democratic tenets.
FODEP fears that the democracy of a country like Zambia risks being extinct if citizens do not stand up to defend their constitutional rights to participate in its developmental decision making process.
FODEP Executive Director Macdonald Chipenzi says this is the reason why FODEP has continued to pursue a vision of a democratic Zambia where the government is accountable to its citizens.
Mr. Chipenzi says his organization thinks that democracy should be more deliberative to the extent of electorates putting to task their elected officials who fail to fulfill their electoral campaign promises.
He states that his organization strongly believes that in a democracy citizens should be free and willing to participate in the social, political and economic affairs of their country.
Mr. Chipenzi was speaking this morning during his organization’s initial People’s Dialogue Platform with political parties, elected leaders and citizens held in Chinsali District of Muchinga province.
The FODEP People’s Dialogue which is a Finish Embassy funded project will be extended to other Districts that include Kasama, Mpika, Isoka, Luwingu, Mungwi, Mbala, Solwezi, Kapompo and Chavuma.
The aim of the project is to among other things provide a platform for citizens’ engagement with political parties and elected officials, facilitate information sharing on progress made in fulfilling electoral campaign promises as well as recommend to political parties on how realistic and implementable manifestoes should be.
And Chinsali District Administrative Officer (DAO) who graced the official opening of the FODEP People’s Dialogue Platform Alex Sinkala reiterated the Patriotic Front (PF) government’s commitment to putting citizen participation premium in the governance process of the country.
Mr. Sinkala states that the PF government is ambitious to reduce poverty in the country by allowing citizen participation in developmental and decision making process.
He says this is why the PF government has welcomed the initiative by FODEP to introduce People’s Dialogue Platforms.