CSOs brainstorm on govt failure to table Information bill
Civil society organisations are this Friday meeting to chat the way forward following government decision not to table the Access to Information Bill despite assurances from both President Peter Mutharika and Information minister Jappie Mhango.
Wilson Asibu, execcutive director of Citizen Alliance, an umbrella body of some civil society organisations confirmed that they will strategise on the way forward.
“We will meet to see what action we should take against the government. The government is not involving stakeholders in reviewing the Access to Information Bill. We gave the government a seven day ultimatum but the government has not been positive,” said Asidu.
He said it was surprising that the government says it is not yet done with the scrutiny of the bill when it has been on government shelves for over 10 years.
The civil society organisations gave the government a seven day ultimatum which ended on Friday to force the government bring the bill in parliament as promised by Mutharika.
Minister of Information Mhango said the cabinet sent back to the cabinet’s legal affairs committee saying there were some inconsistencies.
Opposition members of parliament, the media and civil society groups have teamed up to force the government table the bill in parliament but it is too late now as the House is adjourning on Friday.
Finance minister Goodall Gondwe said the passing of the bill is one of the 20; new conditionalities by donors before they resume giving aid to Malawi.
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nonono No…. this gvnt must be burried……
Good one.
Asibu or asidu????nyasa times backup please.a slight mistake can cause you problems.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. Dont you CSOs think that talking alot and yielding little, only exposes how weak you are? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” – Albert Einstein (German Physcist) How many times have you placed ultimatums on govt’s desk n how many of your ultimutums have yielded you a good result? None, right? So why do you keep flashing out ultimatums willy-nilly like a crazy n mad man when its obvious that you are dealing with lunatics who have no fear whatsoever of your toothless ultimatums? This narrowness of mind and… Read more »
Even in the USA you cannot access all information. Where does the word “classified files” come from? = USA and other so called major democracies. Remember that the oposition will be government tomorrow and they will wish they did not pass certain elements of the bill for national security in the financial, social and military sense. Do not handle matters in Parliament with evil and selfish motives.