Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) says threats and insults against Public Appointments Committee (PAC) members are uncalled for and very bad for democracy.
PAC has been lambasted on social media for rejecting the appointment of Martha Chizuma as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director.
In a press statement this morning, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said some sectors of the society have reacted to Chizuma’s rejection as if it is the first time for PAC to reject someone by conveniently forgetting that not a long time ago the very same PAC rejected appointment of Atuweni Juwaweyi-Agbermodji as Financial Intelligence Authority Director.
He added that the attacks and demonizing of PAC and its membership defeats the very same purpose for which it was established and the separation of power notion.
“It is becoming a trend to demonize statutory committees and constitutional offices when some sectors of the society are not happy with the decisions they have made in relation to their mandate and laws governing them and the republican constitution.
“This is a breeding ground for dictatorship. The same can be said about President Lazarus Chakwera who does not want to listen to dissenting views, and is continuously ignoring legal advice from the office of the Attorney General and whenever such advice is not in his favour,” Namiwa explained
He noted that much as there is politics involved in the issue, PAC members did not break any law since they have used their conscious to rate Chizuma, the very same yardstick they used to measure all other appointees in the past.
Namiwa added that looking at the composition of PAC, it is very clear that Tonse Alliance Government enjoys majority membership which means that both the ruling and the opposition camps are not comfortable with Chizuma.
He went on to say that people should be afraid as a country because they have a crop of Members of Parliament who are paying lip service on the war against corruption and that includes the current Tonse Alliance administration.
