Media Bills finally approved

Rwandan media moved closer to self-regulation, yesterday, when the Chamber of Deputies finally approved the draft laws which govern the media fraternity.The approval follows clause-by-clause review of the drafts that had first been discussed by the plenary session, last year, but were sent back to the Political Affairs and Gender Committee for further analysis.The bills that were assessed included the draft on access to information, and one regarding the functioning and organisation of the Media High Council (MHC).Yesterday, the law makers unanimously voted in favour after a heated debate.On Monday, MPs and the minister for cabinet affairs, also currently overseeing the information docket, Protais Musoni, urged the media not to endanger national security under the guise of freedom of expression. The clause states that the right to know or to publish documents from the executive, judiciary or legislative powers may be limited where necessary on considering issues such as confidentiality in the interest of national security and national integrity.Another consideration is the confidentiality of judicial proceedings, parliamentary sessions in camera, cabinet deliberations and the trusted authorities coming under the executive.The clause stipulates that other forbidden publications shall be determined by a Presidential order.In the examination of Article 6, forbidden publications, like in most other articles, raised concerns from a section of the House, with some MPs requesting that the clause be removed. Innocent Kayitare said: “I feel that keeping this clause on secrecy is vital as you all know about the WikiLeaks issue and how it has affected America.”However, shortly after abstaining during the vote on the article, MP Juvenal Nkusi explained his decision.“This clause should be removed from this law because we are creating unnecessary problems. All those documents we are talking about are secret documents. A secret on national security is a secret. “A secret in judicial proceedings is a secret. Cabinet proceedings are secret,” Nkusi noted, saying that it should not be journalists but the people who would have leaked the information, to be blamed, in the first place.He added: “The issue, instead, is that those in charge of guarding documents must guard them to ensure that nothing comes out. When they are leaked, they should find the person who publicised them instead of curtailing a journalist when he has obtained information. It is freedom of expression.”But the Chairperson of the Political Affairs and Gender Committee which earlier reviewed and streamlined the bill, Alfred Rwasa Kayiranga, said the clause is vital. “This clause is necessary because, first of all, even in general, all rights have an end. Secrets are not publicised. That is something that is clear,” Kayiranga said.Minister Musoni also defended the clause, saying: “All that I can say is that this clause is universal. And its initial basis is that the media have a responsibility to respect public interests. “When public interests are hindered the media will have backtracked from its responsibilities.”“When a decision is made that an issue is going to be discussed in privacy, it means there is an issue that could cause problems to national interests, in general, if it got out.”The chamber endorsed the bill but it will go through the Senate before final promulgation. Contrary to the current law, media practitioners are not obliged to have an associate’s degree in journalism or any other training in journalism.“I think that if we want to build a professional media institution, all those who are eligible to work as journalists should undergo a form of basic education on journalism,” MP Dr. Ezechias Rwabuhihi maintained.He also highlighted that freedom of the media should be emphasised so as to avoid any controversy.However, Kayiranga disagreed that some journalists may not have acquired journalism education but could be skilled enough talented to perform the job.“We have tried not to limit the media institution to particular training background because some people have superb journalistic skills having effectively practiced journalism purely out of talent,” he said.Kayiranga argued that by easing entry into the media sector, competition will increase and those who are incompetent automatically eliminated.Regarding the structure and responsibilities of the Media High Council (MHC), the body remains with the full authority in initiating and implementing policies and strategies to enhance the media’s role in national development.Despite the approval to self regulation, the media will further be supervised by Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA).Musoni said that a mechanism on how MHC and RURA will concurrently regulate the media will be put in place.Most journalists believe that since the laws have been passed, there are no more limits to the development of the sector.“I believe that the media sector will now play a more vibrant role in the county’s development especially now that clear guidelines and regulations are in place,” Jane Uwimana, a journalist at Radio Ten observed.

National

Media Bills finally approved