ZAMBIAN VEEP'S CHARM OFFENSIVE SENDS MIXED MESSAGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LUSAKA 000022 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/S LAYLWARD E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2020 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO ZA SUBJECT: ZAMBIAN VEEP'S CHARM OFFENSIVE SENDS MIXED MESSAGE REF: A. 09 LUSAKA 985 ¶B. 09 LUSAKA 602 LUSAKA 00000022 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Donald E. Booth for reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: At a January 12 meeting with the Ambassador, Vice President George Kunda stated that the Zambian government (GRZ) will continue to engage the press as it debates media regulation (ref A) and is not/not preparing to pass its own media law. In response to Ambassador's urging that the GRZ pass a Freedom of Information (FOI) law, Kunda said a draft bill had been withdrawn from Parliament when it ran into heavy questioning. He said FOI is a complicated issue, and the GRZ is studying how other countries, including the UK, have dealt with it. Ambassador cautioned that decisive GRZ actions against corruption this year will help ensure continued MCA Compact eligibility in the future. Kunda affirmed the government's commitment by noting that it is drafting anti-corruption legislation. He also pledged to work with civil society to implement the NGO Act. The vice president was unusually relaxed and engaged. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On January 12, Vice President George Kunda told Ambassador that the GRZ is "unequivocally" committed to working with the press to achieve a way forward on media regulation (ref A). He said that the media bill leaked to the press in December 2009 was a rough draft meant to stimulate discussion on the issue of press freedom. It reflected some government ideas, not government policy. Kunda pointed out that the press had distorted proposals such as the government-dominated Media Council and prison sentences for journalists convicted of libel, which he claims were suggestions the press could freely accept or refuse. He denied that the GRZ had imposed deadlines on deliberating media regulation and that the GRZ had accepted a timetable proposed by media themselves. He implied there is currently no "deadline" for the media to produce self-regulation proposals. The vice president asserted that media regulation was necessary because journalism can lead to "chaos and anarchy" and that other professions (lawyers, accountants, doctors) have professional regulation that has been codified into law. ¶3. (C) Kunda said he was aware of the proposed Freedom of Information (FOI) law and U.S. support for it. However, he deflected Ambassador's suggestion that the law would improve transparency by claiming that "we are running a transparent government." He added that Zambia is a "young country not as sophisticated, stable, or strong as the United States" and therefore needed time and familiarization with the legislation before enacting it. He said that the GRZ would need to take into consideration security concerns before adopting a FOI law and noted the GRZ is looking at how other countries, including the UK, have addressed the issue. He noted that a draft FOI had raised numerous concerns and questions when submitted to Parliament last year and thus had been withdrawn for further work. (Comment: We had not previously known a draft FOI bill had been submitted, although we have repeatedly been told over the past year that a law was in preparation.) ¶4. (C) Ambassador indicated that the Zambian government needed to take positive action to implement its anti-corruption strategy in order to meet this year's MCA Control of Corruption indicator and maintain Compact eligibility. Vice President Kunda concurred. He assured Ambassador that the GRZ is currently drafting anti-corruption legislation and reviewing asset disclosure, asset forfeiture, rules of evidence, plea bargaining and whistle-blower protection legislation supported by the United States. Although Kunda claimed that the government is "overwhelmed" by drafting multiple pieces of legislation at once, including a Business Reform law that would greatly reduce the number of licenses required to operate businesses, he signaled that anti-corruption legislation is among the GRZ' priorities. ¶5. (C) Kunda told Ambassador that the GRZ is working with the British High Commission to draft guidelines to implement the NGO law and that it will engage civil society stakeholders in the debate over implementation (ref B). He lamented that the government needed to work with civil society organizations of "doubtful credibility" that he maintained were neither independent nor objective and fomented "subversive activities." He claimed that these organizations were connected to political competitors and independent "Post" newspaper, and therefore could not offer objective assessments. LUSAKA 00000022 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Comment: Vice President Kunda was relaxed and engaged during his one-hour meeting with the Ambassador. Kunda's demeanor indicated that he was either unusually or unexpectedly interested in engaging the USG on key issues, or he was putting on a charm offensive. He seemed generally receptive to USG positions and open to dialogue on press freedom, freedom of information, and fighting corruption. He also appeared committed to supporting Minister of Information Ronnie Shikapwasha's efforts to work with the press to regulate itself. Although he was evasive about the timing of passing a FOI law, Kunda made positive indications that the government will openly dialogue with non-government stakeholders on key legislation such as the NGO law. His pledge that the GRZ is committed to fight corruption and retain its MCA Compact eligibility rings a bit hollow, however, as crucial pieces of anti-corruption legislation have been foundering at his Ministry of Justice for years. End Comment. BOOTH