Information Bill goes to Malawi parliament ahead of IMF meet- Tembenu
Justice minister Samuel Tembenu has said the Access to Information bill has finally been submitted to parliament, just weeks before the IMF team jets into the country and parliament meets for mid year budget review.
Tembenu’s comments should give a sigh of relief to proponents of the bill, including National Media Institute for Southern Africa (Namisa) whose president Thom Khanje doubted the government would ever bring the bill in parliament.
The Minister said the government has sent the bill to the legislative body through the Legal and Constitution Affairs committee of parliament, the normal channel of sending government bills to National Assembly.
The government has finally brought the bill to parliament after donors put the passing of the bill into law among other conditions for resumption of aid in Malawi.
Civil society groups and the media have been lobbying for the bill to be passed into law with opposition Malawi Congress Party spokesperson saying if the law was operational, Malawians would have known who went formed the larger than life President Peter Mutharika September UN entourage.
There is a definite and shocking lack of grasp by government that anyone holding public office (elected or appointed by elected people including the President) ia a servant of the people NOT A BOSS. Why should an employer (the people of Malawi) not have the right to access information on what the employee ( Government; the civil service; Parliament and the Juduciary) is doing. I can’t understand the source of this ignorance or feigned ignorance. Retrospective application of a law? Yes, why not? Even the Nuremberg trial of the Nazis after World War II used a UN Declaration of Human… Read more »
IMF MUST NEVER GIVE SPACE THIS DPPGOVT. THESE ARE CROOKS! NO ATI NO IMF PROGRAMME. FINISH!
DPP IS REFUSING ATI SO THAT THEY CAN C0NTINUE STEALING.
PLEASE ALSO MAKE SURE TO FREE MACRA AND MBC UNDER THIS ATI BILL!
Do not trust this rotten gvt. Once IMF goes, the bill will be stalled. It might have been deliberately prepared badly for an excuse in parliament to let it be refined so that gvt takes its time.
Swallow you pride DPP and try to do things Malawians want at the right time. Otherwise, wait for more embarrassing times. You may not tell when.
When was this piece of draft legislation put out for public comment….is this another whitewash attempt to hoodwink the donors that Malawi is being compliant? Bills of this nature should be widely circulated for public input….
Let’s hope it is not a watered-down bill! That’s my biggest fear!
This Demonic Party thinks we are children.
NO ATI Bill NO IMF Funding.
Mbava zotheratu, eti kumagawa chimanga cha Admarc mzipatala pamene ife tikulephera kugula chimangacho ku Admarc.
How I wish God could terminate DPP’s rule.
Zoona tizidikira mzungu atiopseze kuti tipange ma bill? Crap!!!
so they have done it because IMF