Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has called the media bill a coup on journalists and press freedom.
Deuba stressed that the bill which infringes on freedom of expression and snatches the rights of journalists will not be acceptable to the party. "This bill if it is passed as it is will be a coup on journalists. One can deem it to be a coup on press freedom," Deuba said holding a press conference at the party's office in Sanepa on Sunday. "Why does one need to bring a bill that snatches rights now?" he asked.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has already started protests demanding withdrawal of the bill the government registered in the parliament on Thursday proposing a fine of up to Rs 1 million on journalists violating the code of conduct.
The main opposition party has held a press conference to oppose the bill and demanded that the bill be in accordance to the spirit and values of the Constitution. "Our party will study the bill and will demand its withdrawal in the parliament," he stated.
Pointing that NC has been fighting for freedom since the Rana regime and through the Panchayat regime, he warned that the party will again fight if freedom of expression were curtailed. "Freedom is our principle. The journalists are now under the hammer. It may be someone else in the coming days. We are for the freedom to write," he elaborated.
He added that curtailing of freedom will also affect justice and assured that the party will continue to resist in the parliament until press freedom and freedom of expression are guaranteed.
Deuba again reminded the warning about authoritarian communist regime he issued before the general election. "I had said that one cannot even cry if the communists win. My prophecy is coming true," he claimed.
The government on Thursday had registered a bill in the parliament that proposes a fine of up to Rs 1 million on journalists violating the code of conduct.
The bill that will turn the current Press Council Nepal into Media Council has proposed a fine of Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 million on the media, its publisher, editor and journalist if they seem to have hurt somebody's dignity and prestige.
The current Press Council Act does not have a provision of fine. It only requires publication of the aggrieved party's version, and recommendation to the government to partially or completely stop government's facilities and benefits for a certain period for repeated violation.
The Media Council can also order compensation for the aggrieved person or institution on top of the fine. "The council can also get the aggrieved persons or institutions compensated if they suffer any loss due to the publication or broadcast of the material violating the code of conduct issued by the council," the bill states.
It has also paved the way for punishment against the journalists as per other laws for violation of code of conduct. The council will have to write to the bodies concerned for such legal action. It also states that punishment for violation of code of conduct will not save the journalists from punishment as per other laws for the same violation.
The bill allows the council to receive assistance from foreign individuals and institutions without government permission, even as the government has registered an amendment bill requiring even the National Human Rights Commission to take permission from the Finance Ministry for accepting foreign assistance.
Qualification for chairman of such a powerful council, however, has been limited to bachelor's degree. Only a retired Supreme Court (SC) justice or senior advocate or a journalist who has made significant contribution through journalism can chair the current Press Council.
The chairman must have a 10-year journalism experience but members need a 15-year experience.
The bill has tried to establish the Media Council as a government body instead of the quasi-judicial the Press Council is now, and the role of Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has been expanded.
Members are nominated by the speaker of House of Representatives (HoR) and National Assembly chairman as per the current Press Council Act but the government will appoint the chairman, and the ministry members as per the bill.
Six members of the nine-strong Council will be appointed by the ministry, with a first-class officer nominated by the ministry, and the Federation of Nepali Journalists chairman being the other members.
The bill also allows the government to sack the chairman and members for unsatisfactory performance whenever it wishes.
