Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Civil Society Coalition on the Access to Information bill says it is very disappointed with President Edgar Lungu’s statement that he is reluctant to enact the ATI Bill because he feels some section of the media will use the Law irresponsibly.
The Coalition which comprises MISA Zambia,Women n Law and Development,TIZ,SACCORD,JCTR,Press Freedom Committee,NGOCC, Actionaid among others says it is disappointing that such a statement should come from the president himself, after the commitment shown in the past by the Patriotic Front government to have this law enacted.
In a statement, the Coalition notes that the President’s statement indicates a clear lack of commitment to a cause that they themselves championed prior to and after the January 20 2015 elections.
It says the fact that some media houses have acted “irresponsibly” should not cost the whole country, pointing out that this law is not meant for the media only, but is meant to address transparency and accountability challenges in both private and public institutions.
It explains that the kind of information and focus of the ATI is on developmental issues that are for the benefit of the poor, wondering where the crime in knowing that a particular hospital, school, clinic, has received a particular sum of money, or drugs or equipment for the development of that particular area is.
The Coalition has reiterated that the ATI Law is for the greater benefit of ordinary citizens than it is for the media, stating that ATI Law has never been about the media, but about public access to information from institutions that channel development.
The Coalition further states that it is unacceptable for those in government to think that they can contract a loan on behalf of Zambians and at the same time want to hide information about that loan from the citizens themselves.
The Coalition says it takes great exception that government intends to stall the ATI process once more on account of a non-issue.
It adds that government is fully aware that concealing such information regarding debt contraction from tax payers is tantamount to warrant the process of raising a red flag of no confidence in a regime.
The Coalition on ATI says it is of the resolve that the ATI Bill must be tabled in parliament in June and prior to that it must be published in the Government Gazette as per the requirement of the Law.