State of democratic accountability in Zambia is very poor – FODEP

Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi says this is because the stakeholders that are supposed to hold the government accountable have now decided to dine and romance with it thereby compromising their role.

Mr. Chipenzi has observed that if the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) in its manifesto had promised to review the NGO ACT his organization does not see any reason why any NGO in its right sense would today say that it wants to register and fight for the review of the NGO ACT while comply with the alleged bad law.

Mr. Chipenzi says his organization has also found it surprising that some NGO that have decided to register under the NGO ACT have also become the spokespersons of the Ministry mandated to implement the alleged unfavorable law.

And Chipenzi has maintained that if the ruling PF thought that it would lie in its manifesto about reviewing the NGO ACT, the NGO fraternity is not ready to be taken for granted.

He says by failing to account for its promise on the review of NGO ACT the ruling PF has pressed a wrong button as the NGOs are ready for a showdown with the government on the legislation.

The FODEP Executive Director said this in an interview with Qfm.