PAC to revive demands
The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) says it is set to start rolling out its activities into action next month, hinting at reviving its failed nationwide march.
PAC executive director Robert Phiri said in an interview yesterday the secretariat had “concluded everything” which would be presented to the board for further action.
The quasi-religious institution has been silent since postponing its December 13 2017 nationwide demonstrations which were aimed at pushing government to table in Parliament the Electoral Reforms Bills and Local Government Act.
However, in January this year PAC said it was reigniting the demos but would focus on broader issues taking into account that the Electoral Reforms Bills and Local Government Act were frustrated.
But while not wanting to divulge finer details, Phiri said the position of the body was that the activities were just postponed and now the secretariat would be making recommendations to the board on the way forward.
“The board has not met yet but as secretariat, we have concluded everything that requires to be presented to them.
“We believe after listening to different stakeholders at secretariat level we are now ready. The activities were simply postponed and we will recommend that what the public was promised must be done… and the strategies and methodologies will be examined,” said Phiri in an interview.
He, however, said the activities would start in April with the basis of the content being different but the activities remaining the same.
But commenting on PAC’s intentions, University of Livingstonia political scientist George Phiri wondered what the quasi-religious body was “really up to”.
He said: “They have the freedom to continue but I think what is important is whether whatever they want to do now will be effectively done or they should just call it quits because I am now not seeing the objectivity of their demands. I am not seeing PAC being effective this time either.”
Phiri warned PAC to play its cards carefully and come out clearly on what they intend to do and what they want government to do.
While PAC is planning its activities to start next month, some civil society organisations (CSOs) and other human rights defenders have also planned to lead vigils against government over the controversial K4 billion allocation for constituency development.
The demonstrations are as a result of government plans to provide K4 billion of tax payers money to members of Parliament for their development projects.
According to the CSOs, the demos, which are scheduled to take place on April 27 in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, are also meant to show dissatisfaction with other governance issues.
