EDITORS under their umbrella of Tanzania Editors Forum (TEF) have called upon Parliament to consider allowing private television stations to air live the ongoing House sessions.
TEF Chairman, Mr Theophil Makunga, told a
press conference in Dar es Salaam that under the current system, the
news on House sessions was heavily censored thus denying the public the
right to access proper information.
“This has diminished the right of
journalists to carry out their duties freely. It also denies the people
the right to access information,” said the TEF Chairman.
Under the new system, if independent
radio and television stations need to broadcast live Bunge sessions,
they have to hook up frequencies of the Parliament.
Radio and television stations have to
install broadcast systems inside the debating chamber but instead, they
receive the signals through the satellite meant for public consumption.
Mr Makunga pointed out that TEF was
planning to meet the authority of the office of Parliament in Dodoma
next month to discuss the matter noting that the move to use the new
system was undermining democracy.
He said private broadcasting stations
were willing to continue airing the House sessions live after the
government reduced airtime for the state owned TBC because of costs. But
he said the private broadcasting stations have also been denied the
opportunity to air the House sessions live.
Early this year, Prime Minister, Mr
Kassim Majaliwa, reiterated the government’s stand on reducing airtime
on live coverage of the National Assembly sessions by the Tanzania
Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).
The Premier said the decision was made
in good faith to save costs and enable more people to follow recorded
proceedings of the House at night when they are done with their daily
obligations.
The state broadcaster has been airing
all proceedings of the House since the year 2005 at a cost of 4.2bn/-
per annum, an amount described by the minister as too high given the
move by the Fifth Phase government to cut costs.
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