Media stakeholders and the ruling party have recommended that a parliamentary committee be given time to make changes to the government’s proposed access to information bill and a media bill, according to a June 23 Guardian article by Felister Peter.
The Assembly, however, while resolving not to debate the contentious bill Media Services Bill, had announced plans to debate the Access to Information Bill, possibly by June 27.
Media leaders said June 22 after meeting with members of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs that the committee should act before the National Assembly votes on the bill.
The representative from the Tanzania Constitutional Forum, Deusi Kibamba, said almost all the sections in the Access to Information Bill have problems, and was quoted as saying, “The bill should not be tabled … we want it improved and tabled in the National Assembly in coming parliamentary meeting in November,” he urged.
The ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has urged for the withdrawal of the Access to Information and Media Services Bills in Parliament until all major stakeholders are involved, according to a story in The Daily News. A statement issued by the party’s Publicity and Ideology Secretary, Nape Nnauye, here on June 23 asked for the immediate withdrawal of the bills until all stakeholders reach a consensus to avoid unnecessary tensions.
“We think it is high time the Bills were withdrawn until thorough deliberations and agreements with all stakeholders are reached. Failure to reach a consensus on the same might lead to difficulties in implementation of the laws,” he said.
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