Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
-
14 October 2013
Pace of Handling Zambian ATI Legislation Defended
By Emmanuel Nyirenda Nyirenda is former managing director of the Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail. He also served as permanent secretary at the Ministry of information. This article was published in the Zambia Daily Mail and is reprinted with permission. The introduction of an access to information law in Zambia has been congroversially […]
-
11 October 2013
Seven Senators Offer FOI Bill in Paraguay Drafted by NGOs
Seven senators have introduced a Transparency and Access to Information bill that was drafted by Paraguayan nongovernmental organizations. Martha Ferrara, director of Semillas para la Democracia (Seeds for Democracy), said the project is the result of 10 years work on the subject and presentation, supported by several legislators , and means ” a great achievement […]
-
4 October 2013
Punjab Issues Ordinance on Right to Information
The state of Punjab in Pakistan has decreed a right to information law. The “Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Ordinance 2013” (text) has been introduced as an ordinance, making it valid for 120 days. After that it lapses unless approved by the provincial assembly. “Great development here and we are very excited!!,” commented Zahid […]
-
19 September 2013
Guyana Law Made Effective July 10; 95th in World
Guyana’s Access to Information Act No. 21 of 2011 entered into force on July 10, 2013, a Guyana official has informed FreedomInfo.org. Guyana is the 95th country with a freedom of information regime. The effective date was provided by an official in the Guyana embassy in Washington, clearing up a bit of ambiguity about whether […]
-
16 September 2013
Paraguay’s Ombudsman Proposes Access Legislation
The House of Representatives in Paraguay is considering a draft law on access to public information. The legislation was proposed by the ombudsman, Manuel Páez Monges, and is sponsored by Rep. Víctor González Segovia. The proposal is being studied in committee on Legislation, Constitutional Affairs and the Press and Propaganda, according to an ABC news […]
-
12 September 2013
Kuwaiti Parliamentarians Introduce Information Bill
Five members of parliament in Kuwait have submitted a draft right to information law, according to a report in Arab Times. The bill was offered by MPs Riyadh Al-Adsani, Dr Abdul-Kareem Al-Kandari, Hamdan Al-Azemi, Osama Al-Tahous and Mohammad Al-Hadiyah. The draft addresses public information recordkeeping and among other things would require authorities to publish a […]
-
12 September 2013
Spanish Parliament Approves FOI Bill; Senate Next
The lower house of the Spanish parliament on Sept. 12 approved a Law on Transparency and Good Governance. Approval came on a divided vote after attempts to amend the bill were turned back. Critics called the bill insufficient and opaque. The bill, presented by Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, now goes to the […]
-
5 September 2013
Senate Panel Sets Course to Process FOI Legislation
A Senate committee plans to speed up public hearings on the freedom of information with the goal of passage before Congress goes on break starting Sept. 25, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Sept. 2, according to media reports. The committee on public information and mass media has begun hearings on the FOI bill. Senate passage […]
-
30 August 2013
Pakistani Committee OKs Freedom of Information Bill
A Senate committee in Pakistan has approved a freedom of information bill. The Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting approved the bill on Aug. 28 after eight months of deliberations. Committee chairman Kamil Ali Agha is expected to propose it in the Senate as a multi-party bill. The committee rejected a request from the defense […]
-
27 August 2013
Vanuatu Passes RTI Policy, Makes Plans to Adopt Law
The South Pacific nation of Vanuatu has approved a Right to Information (RTI) policy, according to an Aug. 21 article in Island Business. “The RTI policy commits Government to release all information to the public, except where releasing information would be a breach of security or privacy, or would compromise commercial in confidence,” according to […]
-
27 August 2013
Pakistani Province Issues RTI Ordinance; Changes Urged
The Pakistani province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Aug. 13 promulgated a Right to Information Ordinance. The ordinance (official site) (Word version) is better an earlier version, according to advocates, but they said it still needs improvements. The ordinance, which has a 90-daye life-span, must be presented before the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly for review. Critics believe that […]
-
27 August 2013
MISA Botswana Protests Continuing Delays on FOI
The Media Institute of Southern Africa Botswana Chapter (MISA Botswana) has urged the government to stop delaying consideration of freedom of information legislation. The group said in a statement that it wanted “to register its disappointment on the continued postponement of the tabling of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Draft Bill by Government.” The chapter […]
-
13 August 2013
Punjab Seeks Comment on New Version of RTI Bill
The Government of Punjab, a state in Pakistan, has requested public comment on “The Punjab Freedom of Information Act 2013.” The draft was issued Aug. 7 and is available here and here. It has been approved in principle by the Cabinet. Public comments were requested within 15 days to dgprmh@gmail.com. In the state of Khyber […]
-
5 August 2013
Bolivian Government Proposes Transparency Law
The Bolivian government has forwarded a Transparency and Access to Information Law to the Bolivian Congress. The proposal (text in Spanish) has generated some criticisms, such as from journalists, the Asociación Nacional de la Prensa, and the Bolivian ombudsman. Among other things, there are concerns that environmental impact assessment information would not be released and […]
-
5 August 2013
Stage Set for Consideration of Philippines FOI Bill
A few new actors have been given lead roles in the long-running saga in the Philippines over whether a freedom of information bill can pass Congress. Rep. Jorge Almonte will chair the committee on public information, which last year delayed action on the bill under the chairmanship of Rep. Ben Evardone. FOI supporters had pushed […]
-
29 July 2013
Pakistan Activists Object to Draft RTI Ordinance in KP
Civil society groups are objecting that the proposed right to information ordinance in Pakistan’s province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was watered down. The Coalition on Right of Information (CRTI) and allies held a press conference July 24 recently to oppose the bill which was changed in early July by the Cabinet. CRTI coordinator Zahid Abddullah said […]
-
26 July 2013
Ghana Government Has Made Few Changes in RTI Draft Bill
The government of Ghana has made few substantive changes in a Right to Information bill from last year that is widely considered too weak by FOI advocates The bill was approved by the Cabinet June 6, but has yet to be made public. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) Officials say is still being worked on, according […]
-
26 July 2013
Spanish Committee Approves FOI Amendments in Private
The Spanish Parliament’s Constitutional Commission on July 25 approved amendments to the transparency law. The nonpublic session was boycotted by left of center parties, including the main opposition Socialist Party and the process came under fire from Access Info Europe. “At time of writing we don’t have a clear picture of exactly which amendments were […]
-
24 July 2013
Pro-FOI Coalition Wins Election in St. Helena
Candidates who made government transparency a central campaign promise have swept the election on the island of St. Helena. The winning coalition plans to pass a freedom of information bill. Several of the candidates, sworn in July 24, objected to being forced to swear secrecy oath required by the Constitution, according to reporting by journalist […]
-
22 July 2013
Aquino Doesn’t Mention FOI Legislation in Major Speech
Despite a stress on fighting corruption, Philippines President Benigno Aquino did not mention pending freedom of information legislation in his annual State of the National address (Sona) July 22 Aquino talked for one hour and 44 minutes, with 88 applause breaks, and managing to mention 65 specific topics, according to one media count. Freedom of […]