Government forms NGO panel seen by critics as way to legitimise CPP crackdowns

The government has officially staffed a newly created “Civil Society Forum” – empowered to influence policy in the sector – with government officials and very few civil society members, prompting observers to suggest the body will only serve to legitimise flawed legislation like the controversial NGO Law and the recent clampdown on independent NGOs.

While the forum was created through a sub-decree last year, a directive issued earlier this month – and published on government-aligned site Fresh News yesterday – shows a majority of the group will consist of Council of Ministers members and ministerial staffers, along with a handful of NGO personnel.

The development comes at a time when the government has intensified an apparent crackdown on what it considers critical and “pro-opposition” NGOs, either through investigations into their tax compliance or fulfilment of their requirements under the controversial Law on Associations and NGOs (Lango).

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