Cyber Laws will haunt UPND – Kalaba
By BARNABAS ZULU
HARRY Kalaba has warned the ruling UPND to be cautious about their handling of the Cyber Crimes Bills, cautioning that the ruling party shall be haunted by the same authoritarian and draconian laws it is determined to enact in a bid to shrink space for freedom of expression for citizens once out of power.
Mr Kalaba, the president of the Citizens First is arguing that the bills, which aim to tighten regulations on online activity, could backfire on the current administration once they are no longer in power.
In an interview yesterday, Mr. Kalaba criticized the bill, stating that it could one day come to haunt the UPND leadership when they are out of office.
“The Cyber Crimes Bill was condemned, and one of the promises made by President Hakainde Hichilema before coming to power was that the first thing he was going to reverse was this very bill,” Mr. Kalaba said.
He added; “What has happened is that, like many of his failed promises, the president has instead stiffened the cyber crime laws, which seems to be a way of preventing the opposition from effectively participating in the affairs of the country.”
Mr. Kalaba expressed concern that the UPND government was contradicting its own rhetoric and should reconsider its stance over the bills which they had condemned while in the opposition.
“So, he should not go ahead with the bill. Let him stick to the words he said before he became president. For once, let him take what he said seriously,” he said.
Kalaba went on to warn that the current administration may regret their actions in the future.
“We have seen in this country laws that were created to punish people, and later, those very laws were used against those who created them,” he explained. “What they are doing today may seem comfortable, but tomorrow, when they are out of power, it will be difficult for them,” Mr Kalaba said.
Drawing a comparison to previous regimes, Kalaba cited the motor vehicle theft laws, which, under the MMD, were initially used to target political opponents, but later backfired on the party.
“So, we have got to be careful with how we proceed with these issues because some of these things will come back to haunt them,” he said.
The Cyber Crimes Bill has been a subject of intense debate, with critics arguing it could stifle free speech and restrict online freedom. The government’s stance, however, is that the bill is necessary to combat the growing number of cyber-related crimes in the country.
