Africa-Press – Zambia. The New Dawn Government has insisted that democratic space in Zambia is not shrinking as suggested by some opposition political parties and civil society organisations.
Featuring on ZNBC TV’s Sunday Interview, Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe declared that the democratic space was not worsening in the over two years the UPND has been in office. Mr. Haimbe noted that the period before the UPND Administration took office cannot be equated to the democratic space prevailing now.
“Grevasio, nobody expects that we will have a perfect administration. We are not going to profess that we are perfect. In fact, we are just above two years of being in office. They would be bound to be mistakes made but that cannot equate to saying that the democratic space is shrinking. Considering that the baseline where we could possibly compare is from the point that we took over office,” he said
“If you are to take that period prior to us taking over administration and take this period where we are in office you will then be saying that is where the baseline is set and if you are to look at where we are coming from (laughs) Grevasio, I am sorry it is actually laughable to say the space has shrunk. You would then be suggesting that in this administration of the UPND there have been instances worse than what transpired in the past, recent or distant past,” Mr. Haimbe said.
Lusaka lawyer Jonas Zimba last week charged that what is currently happening in the country, especially to the opposition PF, points to a shrinking democratic space. Meanwhile, VICE-President Mutale Nalumango says she does not see any shrinking of the democratic space under the new dawn government.
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