ECZ even now can disclose HH’s declarations – Laura
By Fanny Kalonda
LAURA Miti says President Hakainde Hichilema should morally declare his assets since there is no law in the country that compels him to do so.
Miti, an Alliance for Community Action executive director and also a commissioner of the Human Rights Commission, says the Electoral Commission of Zambia even now can disclose what President Hichilema declared before coming into office.
“You see the thing with president [Edgar] Lungu, we knew the man was from Chawama, okay, so we could very easily see when millions began to move, everybody else. This President can move a few millions dollars and we won’t even know because of the wealth he already has,” she said.
During a special discussion on public finance and accountability audit report hosted by Chapter One Foundation, Miti said politicians need to understand that declaration of assets is not about them but about the Zambian people that they govern.
“But I was going to go beyond that and say, even if there is no law, I think it is morally right for the President to make a declaration. Largely because he probably is the wealthiest President we have ever had or so we are told. So he comes in with the kind of money that would allow him to hide a lot more. I think morally President Hichilema must declare his assets and also it will make it easier for us in civil society to make his ministers declare his assets, to make the MPs declare assets,” she said. “The reason we need these things done are not because we like the President, we don’t like the President. We want to know his bank account, it is not about him, it’s about the people and this is what these politicians need to understand.”
Miti said it is extremely unfortunate that the current law does now require the President to make annual declaration of assets.
She said the country has heard the President’s declaration of his commitment to accountability but he should morally declare his assets.
“That said, I would like to agree with what Linda [Kasonde] is saying that it would be advisable for this President, President Hichilema to declare his assets. The main reason is that if he does not declare his assets, let’s forget about the law because I started off by making it clear that he doesn’t have to, alright,” Miti said. “It is not about President Hichilema, it’s about the people. We want him to declare his assets so that he can help us, help Anti-Corruption Commission, help everybody protect the assets or protect public finance so that it is available for the poorest people who don’t even know anything about assets. Morally it would be nice for us to know; ‘I came in with so much, I have so much now, I have ring-fenced it therefore, when I leave, it is not that I have touched the treasury or other assets’.”
She also said there is no law that hinders the Electoral Commission of Zambia from releasing the declarations made by presidential candidates when running for an election.
Miti said the ECZ move to protect former president, Lungu, by not disclosing assets that he declared has allowed President Hichilema to get away with it.
“But there is no law for the President right now so the only law is before the elections and that was done and then Electoral Commission hid it. In fact, the Electoral Commission can still publicise. I don’t think there is any law that prevents the Electoral Commission even now telling just what President Hichilema declared before coming into office,” said Miti.