UPND says alot still needs to be done in governance

The United Party for National Development (UPND) says while the country’s governance record is improving,a lot still needs to be done.

UPND Deputy Spokesperson Edwin Lifwekelo in a statement says it is a fact that Zambia has failed to domesticate a number of international conventions so as to develop a culture of good governance that includes the fight against corruption, constitutional and electoral reforms and improving levels of accountability and transparency.

Mr Lifwekelo notes that overall, the country continues to have a poor human rights record with some improvement in just a few areas.

He says the nation appears to lack institution capacity to strengthen good democratic governance, as a result citizens continue to be subjected to human right abuses,discrimination,gender imbalance and violence against women.

Mr Lifwekelo says state apparatus that are mandated to provide security and maintain peace remain at the forefront of gross violations in terms of abuse, while gaining access to information remains bureaucratic.

He adds that although government has taken measures to improve the provision for press freedom, not much has been done in respect of enacting the freedom of information (FOI).

Mr Lifwekelo says the UPND believes that freedom of information is a cornerstone of sustainable democracy as it helps to build a culture of tolerance and co-existence.