(NYASATIMES) Parliament rejects ‘oppressive’ Police Bill

Parliament rejects ‘oppressive’ Police Bill
By Nyasa Times
Published: November 24, 2009

Malawi parliament has failed to agree on a controversial Police Bill which proposes to regulate assemblies and demonstrations and has been referred to the legal affairs committee of the House.

Many parliamentarians who spoke on the motion said the bill which also seeks to empower police officers to carry searches without warrant said the law will not be in line with democratic principles.

The parliamentarians also condemned the law which will prohibit police officers from smoking and suspend law enforcers found to be carrying sexually transmitted infections (STI).

UDF’s Machinga North East MP, Atupele Muluzi (pictured) asked parliament to be serious when presenting bills and said the House should not enact laws that will affect generations to come.

“Lets not just pass legislations for the sake of it, the laws that we pass today will affect many generations to come so we need serious bills to be presented in the house, “said Muluzi.

He said the Police Bill is not good for democracy and liberties of people and that it sounds oppressive.

Muluzi said there other pressing issues as a nation that need to be dealt with such as power blackout, poverty, fuel shortage, lack of medicine other than concentrate on oppressive laws.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Aaron Sangala, said the police has to be disciplined and the bill was meant to enforce that discipline in the service and to curb officer’s multiple sexual relationships.

“Police officers must be exemplary and this can be manifested if they are free from STIs,” said Sangala.

There have been assertions that the Police Bill is a copy of the Zimbabwe’s Public Order and Security Act (POSA), a piece of legislation introduced in 2002 by a ZANU-PF dominated parliament that helped Robert Mugabe to consolidate his power.

Ruling DPP however touts it as the bill aimed to transform the maintenance of law and order into a shared responsibility.

DPP publicity secretary Dr Hetherwick Ntaba said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times that the proposed Police Bill will seek to reform the “Police Force” into a “Police Service” downplaying fears that is intended to inhibit rights of association and assembly.