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MLC exposes Ronnie’s media council bill plan

MLC exposes Ronnie’s media council bill plan
By Ernest Chanda
Tue 28 Dec. 2010, 04:01 CAT

THE Media Liaison Committee (MLC) has disclosed that information minister Ronnie Shikapwasha has devised a 2010 Media Council Bill which he intends to present to Parliament early next year.

Reacting to a story published in the Times of Zambia yesterday where Lieutenant General Shikapwasha asked the media bodies to withdraw the registration of the Zambia Media Council (ZAMEC), MLC chairperson Amos Chanda said the MLC was aware that the minister wanted to fulfil his desire to regulate the media by law.

"What he has said is a step to implementing what's on his table. We are aware that he has prepared a 2010 Media Council Bill which he wants to table before Parliament in the next sitting," Chanda said yesterday.

"We are also aware that he has decided to revise the 2009 Media Council Bill so that his position and conditions on media regulation can be fulfilled. He has a tendency of dragging people into acrimonious situations, but we will not be a party to that."

Chanda contended that the MLC, and not Lt Gen Shikapwasha, had always spearheaded the dialogue process. He said the registration of ZAMEC was done in line with the wishes of media bodies.

"As of 3rd May 2010, the conference at Pamodzi Hotel decided that MLC be registered. And we have registered in line with the Pamodzi resolution. Even the institutions the minister has mentioned were there and they agreed to the resolution," he explained.

However, Chanda said the MLC was still available for dialogue with Lt Gen Shikapwasha, but would not de-register ZAMEC.

Chanda said the MLC would not succumb to Lt Gen Shikapwasha's threats, innuendoes and acrimony.

And Press Freedom Committee of The Post chairperson Chansa Kabwela said Lt Gen Shikapwasha had exposed himself over media regulation.
Responding to Shikapwasha's claims that The Post was driving the media regulation agenda, Kabwela asked Lt Gen Shikapwasha to reflect seriously on his attitude towards the media.

"His stance towards media self-regulation shows that he is not ready to reform. It is the same Lieutenant General Shikapwasha who not too long ago accused The Post of standing aloof regarding media regulation. But now that we are involved in the process, he is accusing us of driving the agenda. Clearly, Lieutenant General Shikapwasha has exposed himself that he is not interested in media regulation," said Kabwela. "We hope and pray that he will reflect seriously in the remaining three days before closing the year. This kind of thinking defies logic. It's a very shameful way of closing the year!"

In yesterday's Times of Zambia, Lt Gen Shikapwasha asked the MLC to de-register ZAMEC before engaging the government in further talks.

Lt Gen Shikapwasha also claimed that the MLC had betrayed the government and accused The Post of driving the agenda on media regulation.

"On our part, we want MLC to de-register ZAMEC and bring it back to the table because they decided to register it without further consultations. They said dialogue should still go ahead and they hoped there can be an understanding. How can there be an understanding when they decided to unilaterally register it before we could dialogue?" asked Shikapwasha. "There is no way one newspaper and a few individuals can control the media regulatory framework on behalf of all Zambians. There was a rush to go and register it because they did not want negotiations to continue."

Lt Gen Shikapwasha further claimed the MLC did not consult state-owned media institutions such as the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, Times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail, Evelyn Hone College Media Studies Department, Zambia Institute of Mass Communications and Zambia Printing Company, before registering ZAMEC.

Labels: AMOS CHANDA, MEDIA, RONNIE SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 3:43 AM