THE Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports has said that the government will invite all stakeholders to discuss how Bunge coverage by broadcast stations can be properly managed.
The new development comes barely five
days after the National Assembly issued a statement that prohibited
airing of the parliamentary proceedings.
Parliament’s Information, Education and
Communication Unit said it would be purely responsible for recording the
MP’s debate and distributing them to radio and television stations
through a common signal feed.
As parliamentary proceedings kicked off
in the political capital of Dodoma, journalists working for radio and
television stations were barred from installing recording equipment in
the debating chamber.
However, the parliament stance has since
drawn reactions from a section of legislators, members of the media and
the general public who view the decision as an attempt by the
government to censor information that is consumed by the public. But Mr
Nnauye came out publicly saying that there was no cause for alarm as the
government would soon seek an amicable solution over the matter.
“We will sort out this matter by
inviting all stakeholders involved to look at all the stumbling blocks
that members of the media and the public are currently encountering
after the directive by the National Assembly,’’ he said.
Journalists working for television
stations told the minister on the hiccups they were facing by waiting
for footages from the parliament’s Information, Education and
Communication Unit. Mr Nnauye promised to seek the final solution over
the queries raised.
“This new system did not come abruptly,
but it was a long plan because all Common Wealth Parliaments are doing
the same,’’ he noted. The minister also moved to dismiss allegations
from different quarters that the move to ban live recording of
parliamentary proceedings was a plot by the Fifth Phase Government to
stifle media freedom.
It did not begin with the Fifth Phase
Government but it was a plan that was there for a long time,’’ he said
adding: “Even when I spoke on a live programme at the National
Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) in Dodoma I reiterated on this plan but
it is very unfortunate that the media did not give it the importance it
deserved.’’
Earlier this year Mr Nnauye hinted that
the government would not allow live coverage of parliamentary
proceedings, just a few hours after he had announced the suspension of
live coverage by TBC to save 4bn/- in tax payers’ money that he said was
being spent every month to sustain the exercise.
On Tuesday, Shadow Minister for
Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Joseph Mbilinyi asked
parliamentary leadership to rescind its decision in order to allow
freedom of the press. “We are representing our people, so it is prudent
when they follow up to see if their representatives are performing
properly,’’ he said
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