Don't sign cybercrime, statistics bills, JK told.

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INNOCENT-THE BLOGGER-BOY

President Jakaya Kikwete.

Chadema has recommended
that President Jakaya Kikwete should pay no heed to the recently passed Cybercrime and Statistics bills saying the parliamentary quorum was not reached, which qualifies the two pieces of legislation be returned for later review in the House.

 

Deputy secretary general John Mnyika made the appeal in a statement yesterday in Dar es Salaam saying the bill was passed without the consent of MPs and disregarded stakeholders’ views.

 

He also said the two bills, the Media Service Act 2015 and the Freedom of Information Bill need to be discussed in an open forum before being placed for discussion and vote in Parliament. These two bills do not guarantee freedom of the press or the freedom of information for media practitioners, he emphasized.

 

Mnyika said such a forum would permit stakeholders to examine the merits and demerits of the proposed laws and make recommendations on the content of the bills before they are debated and passed into law. 

 

“A national forum will help the government to gather people’s input and improve the Intel in the bills,” he stressed.

 

Media and civil society groups have expressed concern over plans by the government to table two new media bills under parliamentary rules that could see them become law with minimum debate.

 

The bills come amid growing concerns over media freedom in Tanzania after the recent banning of  The EastAfrican and much earlier, Mwanahalisi. 

 

Mnyika further explains that the body that has been established under the acts to regulate and govern media affairs is not independent from the government.

 

He said the body chair, secretary and members are all under government authorities and thus following government instructions. 

Mnyika sstated that the passing bills introduced in Parliament was dome without stakeholders’ views from different media industries and media practitioners.

 

He said this leads to believe there is a conspiracy, a secret agenda of the government to control the media in the time of election to ensure it abides to what the government says all the time.

 

“Government should be transparent on this,” he strongly appealed.   

 

The Media Council of Tanzania (MCT) held a three-hour meeting with media stakeholders to discuss the implications of the government's move to table the Media Service Bill and Freedom of Information Bill under a certificate of urgency.