EU Urges Parliament To Take The PVO Bill Back To The People For Consultation
The European Union (EU) yesterday urged Parliament to take the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVOs) Amendment Bill back to the people for further consultation saying some of its provisions would restrict the freedoms of civic society organisations in the country.
Outgoing EU head of delegation, Timo Olkkonen made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda.
After a closed meeting, Olkkonen told journalists that the EU was concerned about some oppressive laws that the country is crafting, including the PVOs Amendment Bill. NewsDay cites him as saying:
The European Union has a number of concerns over what this Bill might mean if enacted into law in its current format.
We do have concerns on that the Bill will unnecessarily limit the freedoms of civil society, their freedom of assembly, and that there might be too many limitations on how they could conduct their business.
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We are all for transparency and democracy, but the question is that with this piece of legislation, is the baby not going to be thrown out with the bucket?
There is need for further consultations with different stakeholders so that all parties will be comfortable with the law that will be enacted. It should not unnecessarily be rushed, and there should be time for downward consideration on the provisions of the Bill.
Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said MPs had already debated the Bill as representatives of the people. He added:
His (EU ambassador’s) statement does not state in what way the freedoms are restricted. So, it is very difficult to comment on it because he did not indicate how it does that… I am not aware of how freedom of assembly will be affected by the Bill. When assembling, give regard to other people’s rights. So where competing rights exist, one side cannot claim full rights.
The Bill which recently passed the second reading stage amends the PVO Act and the government says it will curb money laundering and PVOs participation in politics. It proposes harsh penalties, including jail time of up to one year for perceived offences.
