THE Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) has commended President Hakainde Hichilema for declining to sign the Public Gatherings Bill. Chapter One Foundation has also welcomed the decision, saying it should be treated as an opportunity to improve the Bill and move away from a framework that has often been used to restrict democratic participation. Meanwhile, Transparency International Zambia (TI-Z) says it is difficult to be confident that the Bill will not be enacted with the same provisions, adding that even Cyber Laws were sent back but signed without addressing stakeholders’ concerns. On Wednesday, State House revealed that President Hichilema had declined to assent to the Bill, saying the legislation was undemocratic and against the public interest. In a statement, Thursday,...