Posts Tagged ‘rti legislation’
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28 January 2013
Philippines House Begins Debate on FOI Legislation
The Philippines House Jan. 28 took up the long-delayed freedom of information bill, but with only five days left in the congressional session and still without presidential help. Promisingly, considering that quorum problems are common during the final days of a session, a roll call was answered by 186 members. The FOI bill (House Bill 6766) had not […]
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28 January 2013
Cambodian Parliament Rejects Proposed FOI Bill
The Cambodian National Assembly has again rejected proposed freedom of information legislation, according to an article by Kaing Menghun and Cloin Meyn in Cambodia Daily and another, in the Phnom Penh Post. A leader of the Cambodian Peoples Party called the bill unconstitutional and poorly written, according to the article. CPP lawmaker Chheang Vun said […]
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28 January 2013
Draft FOI Law for Cyprus Circulated for Comment
A draft access to Information law for Cyprus is being circulated by groups planning to campaign for its passage. The draft (in Greek) has been produced by the University of Nicosia Law Clinic, in cooperation with Politeia and IKME – Socio-political Studies Institute, according to Orestis Tringides, who said comments are welcome. The group plan […]
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23 January 2013
House Sponsors of FOI Bill Appeal for Aquino Support
Leading sponsors of the freedom of information bill now languishing before the Philippines House have appealed to President Benigno Aquino to throw a lifeline to the bill. Another day passed without House action Jan. 23, leaving just six session days to go before the House adjourns the current session on Feb. 8. “Akbayan Representative Walden Bello […]
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22 January 2013
Philippines FOI Bill Faces Delays as Session Wanes
A procedural move on an unrelated matter has delayed action by the Philippines House on a freedom of information bill with only seven session days to go. The unexpected delay with little time to spare was one of several plot twists in recent days for the imperiled bill which continues to get barely token support […]
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10 January 2013
Egyptian Government Improves Draft FOI Law
The Egyptian government has proposed a new draft law on access to information which observers called improved but not ideal. Amr Gharbeia, civil liberties director at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, is quoted as saying that the draft is a “good law overall and a major improvement on the previous government draft.” However, he […]
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10 January 2013
Lebanon Drafting Committee Advances FOI Legislation
Freedom of information legislation for Lebanon was approved Nov. 26, 2012, by a drafting subcommittee and is now before the Administration and Justice Committee. The National Network for the Right to Access Information has been pressing for action on bill. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) In October, a subcommittee was formed to review a bill drafted […]
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31 December 2012
Philippines FOI Bill Called Priority, But Time Short
Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte, Jr., has said that the freedom of information bill will be one of the priority bills when the Philippines House of Representatives on Jan. 21 convenes for what will only be an nine-day session. But Belmonte told reporters that mustering a quorum will be a challenge, according to news reports including […]
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31 December 2012
Punjab FOI Bill Proposed, Critic Voices Reservations
The government of Punjab has prepared freedom of information legislation, according to media reports, but one early reaction suggests that much information would be exempted from disclosure. The “bureaucracy” of the Pakistani province has finalized the draft, according to a Dec. 21 article in The Dawn. “The draft was finalised during a meeting of the administrative secretaries […]
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24 December 2012
Zambian FOI Bill to Be Offered in 2013, Minister Says
A key Zambian minister has promised that a freedom of information bill will be presented to Parliament in the first quarter of 2013, according to a newspaper report. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Kennedy Sakeni, made the comment during a trip to see the Northern Province Permanent Secretary, Hlobotha Nkunika, in Kasama, the Lusaka […]
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21 December 2012
Philippines FOI Bill Absent in Final Days of House Session
The freedom of information bill was not presented on the floor of the Philippines House during the closing days of the 2012 session, leaving another step to be taken in nine days available for possible action early next year. Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada in a text message to reporters, said that the bill is “back […]
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17 December 2012
Philippine House to Delay Work FOI Bill Until 2013
By Toby McIntosh The Philippines House won’t take up a freedom of information bill until next year, when there will be only a two-week window for a vote. Senate action is completed now, but the bill’s biggest hurdle historically has been in the House. The House plans to returns Jan. 21, 2013, but the session will […]
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14 December 2012
FOI Legislation Delayed in Barbados, AG Says
The Attorney General of Barbados,?Adriel Brathwaite, has said that freedom of information legislation will be delayed, according to a report in the Stabroek News. He said the government still supports the legislation. A draft “ is presently with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel’s office and is one of the things that we would dearly love to […]
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14 December 2012
Kazakh FOI Legislation Stalls Without Key Sponsor Asanov
By Saule Mukhametrakhimova Mukhametrakhimova is Central Asia Editor for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting which published this article on Dec. 11. Reprinted with permission. A long-awaited bill on access to information in Kazakhstan is now highly unlikely to be passed this year as planned. Some of the civil society groups that invested great hopes […]
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11 December 2012
Philippines House, Senate Move FOI Legislation Slightly
Both the Philippines House and the Senate have taken additional steps toward passing a freedom of information bill, but one of the biggest hurdles, passage by the full House, remains ahead, with the timing uncertain. On Dec. 11, the same House committee that approved the bill Nov. 27, was forced by its chairman to hold […]
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10 December 2012
Pakistan Government May Propose RTI Legislation
Pakistan’s coalition government will soon present a right to information bill to parliament, according to the RTI advocacy group Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI). In July, Pakistan’s Senate formed a subcommittee to work with the information ministry to develop freedom of information legislation. (See previous FreedomInfo.org report.) CPDI Program Manager Zahid Abdullah reported […]
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3 December 2012
Evardone Sets Another Hurdle for Philippines FOI Legislation
In a move called “unneccesary” and ”disturbing” by fellow legislators, Rep. Ben Evardone has said a procedural requirement means his Committee on Public Information must meet again on the freedom of information bill. He set Dec. 11 as the day for members to sign the committee report on the bill approved Nov. (See previous FreedomInfo.org […]
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30 November 2012
Philippines House Nearing Debate on FOI Legislation
With the Philippines House poised to debate a freedom of information bill soon, its supporters are expected to propose an alternative to the controversial right-to-reply provision. A long debate is expected in the 285-member House of Representatives, according to Senior Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin, quoted in Sunstar. Still to come is a from House […]
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27 November 2012
Philippines House Committee Approves FOI Legislation
A Philippines House committee Nov. 27 voted 17-3, with one abstention, to approve a long-stalled freedom of information bill. Final passage, however, remains uncertain because of time pressures. Approval by the full House this year would require action during the 11 session days left before Congress goes on a Christmas break, and only limited time […]
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26 November 2012
Canadian Government Pushes First Nation Transparency
The Canada’s conservative government is pushing through legislation (Bill C-27) to require more financial accountability and transparency by so-called First Nations – the governing organizations of indigenous peoples. The bill debated Nov. 23 in the Assembly would require First Nations to file annual financial statements and disclose the remuneration for chiefs and councilors. The Canadian […]