Zambian citizens deinied right to access information

Media Institute of Southern Africa

The Zambian government has rejected a proposal to guarantee citizens the right to access public information as part of a new constitution being drafted for the country.

The Justice Minister, George Kunda, says the government is opposed to Clause 72 in the draft constitution, which provides for access to information, because it would compromise state security. The government has also rejected provisions in the draft constitution which would have protected all electronic and print media from government interference and shielded journalists from disclosing their sources except in court.

Media Institute of Southern Africa(MISA) says the Zambian government does not want its citizens to be well informed about what is going on. "Rather than being transparent, the government prefers to be secretive," the group believes.

Zambia is obligated under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) - a treaty it signed in 1984 - to guarantee access to information and freedom of expression, argues ARTICLE 19. If well drafted and implemented, an access to information law complementing the Constitution "could strike the right balance by ensuring that national security is protected while citizens were given access to information," says the group.

A Constitutional Review Commission is currently drafting a new constitution in response to public pressure to strengthen democracy in the country ahead of next year's elections. One of the Commission's recommendations includes a provision that a president be elected by more than 50 percent of the vote.