Maravi

TIZ urges govt to admit failures in judiciary

TIZ urges govt to admit failures in judiciary
By Moses Kuwema
Wed 01 June 2011, 03:00 CAT

TRANSPARENCY International Zambia says the government should learn from the US State Depart-ment’s observation on respect for the country’s judicial independence.

Commenting on the observations by the US State Department that the government does not consistently respect judicial independence in the country, TIZ executive director Goodwell Lungu said there was need for the government officials to learn from the report to avoid being prosecuted when they leave office as was the case with former president Frederick Chiluba.

“This report has not come as a surprise as we have constantly advised our current government to uplift the dwindling fight against corruption. We wish to put it on record that the Zambian government should accept this particular report and not continue living in denial,” Lungu said.

“It is only when our government admits some of its failures and puts in place mechanisms to address these continued failures, can we start seeing positive changes in the fight against corruption.

It is an undeniable fact that there are numerous examples which most Zambians can attest to where the fight against corruption has waned and it is no longer being talked about the way it used to be prioritised during the Levy Mwanawasa era.”

Lungu said it was interesting that even former ministers who served under the current regime had become very outspoken on the way it has been handling the fight against corruption.

“We wish to appeal to the government to take stock of the failures in the fight against corruption and the continued public concerns that there is sometimes political pressures that have been put on our Judiciary to render political judgments rather than legal judgments,” he said.

Lungu said it was public knowledge that some of the judgments by the judiciary had raised more questions than answers.

“It is further public knowledge that politicians have made public comments that have had a bearing on the Director of Public Prosecutions to withdraw appeals that the public including ourselves have felt merits appeal,” said Lungu.

In its 2010 report on human rights practices which was released in April this year, the US State Department observed that the Zambian government does not consistently respect judicial independence in the country.

Labels: FREDERICK CHILUBA, GOODWELL LUNGU, JUDICIARY, TIZ

posted by MrK @ 5:08 PM