People’s right to hold a demonstration is not the only factor that should be considered when a gathering has a potential to turn violent because third parties ought to be equally protected by the law, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said it was pertinent to consider other people’s rights like the need to protect their lives and property should a public gathering become violent.

Minister Ziyambi said this in Senate yesterday during the Second Reading of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Bill which seeks to repeal the Public Order and Security Act as the Second Republic embraces political reforms.

The Bill was expected to sail though last night after Senate suspended automatic adjournment rules to allow extensive debate on the Bill and Finance and Appropriation Bill.

“Government objects strongly to the characterisation of the Bill as undemocratic without specifying in what respect the Bill is undemocratic or how it violates the charter of freedoms of rights in any way not contemplated in a democratic society.

The rights and freedom of demonstrators are not the only rights to be considered when a gathering has a potential to become disorderly. Other human beings have rights and freedoms in particular those who might be victimised in their persons or their property by unruly demonstrators,” said Minister Ziyambi.

He said Government had made several concessions to accommodate concerns that had been raised by Parliament’s Legal Committee and the National Assembly which had expressed reservations in some of the clauses.State media