Let’s safeguard her our democratic gains – Kamboni

ZAMBIANS should avoid euphoria voting but should elect principled and competent leaders to Parliament and safeguard the democratic gains the country has so far made since the re-introduction of multiparty in 1991, Harry Kamboni has said.

Mr Kamboni, the former Kalomo UPND Member of Parliament says as the country joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of Parliamentarism today, Zambians should resist electing MPs who would go to Parliament only to cause confusion and anarchy, thereby making governance difficult.

Mr Kamboni, who serves as one of only 12 members of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians, said Zambia had remained one of the strongest democracies in the world and should safeguard its democratic gains.

Speaking in an interview yesterday, he said his experience on the international committee had exposed him to the harsh realities faced by lawmakers in many countries where Members of Parliament are killed, kidnapped, exiled or persecuted.

“I belong to the Inter-Parliamentary Union Committee on Human Rights for Members of Parliament and we sit as a panel of 12 members representing different regions of the world,” Mr Kamboni said.

He explained that the committee deals with cases involving the abuse of the rights of parliamentarians across the globe.

“It is sad the way Members of Parliament are treated in some countries. We have situations where MPs are living in exile while others are killed without anyone being held accountable,” Mr Kamboni said.

He cited cases from countries such as Turkey, Bangladesh, Kenya, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo where lawmakers had allegedly suffered persecution or violence.

“In some countries, MPs are kidnapped, disappear or are even killed and nobody is held accountable. In Congo (DRC), there was a case where a Member of Parliament disappeared from court premises and was later found dead,” he said.

Mr Kamboni said his exposure to such cases had convinced him that Zambia’s democratic environment remained among the best globally.

“The first job of a Member of Parliament is to make laws and provide oversight over the Executive. If you take idiots to Parliament, one day they will make bad laws that can make the country ungovernable and suffocate freedoms that people enjoy,” he said.

The IPU member said voters should prioritise integrity and principle when selecting parliamentary candidates because lawmakers were often exposed to pressure from various interest groups.

“We need people of integrity and principle who can say no even when huge sums of money are flying around in order to influence decisions,” Mr Kamboni said.

He cited the debate surrounding Constitution Amendment Bill No. 10 during the Patriotic Front administration, claiming that attempts had been made to influence legislators to support the proposed changes.

“When Bill 10 came, there was a lot of money flying around. Some stood their ground because they believed they were protecting the interests of the country,” he said.

Mr Kamboni said many Zambians mistakenly believed the role of Members of Parliament was merely to deliver development projects in their constituencies.