26 July, 2021
KATHMANDU, Nepal
Civil society organizations working in the field of Media, Human rights and civic space have urged the Internal Affairs and Law Ministry of Lumbini Province to begin consultation with the stakeholders concerned to discuss the proposed media law before its endorsement. Some of the provisions of the bill, according to the rights bodies, are against the spirit of Nepal’s existing Constitution and curtails media freedom and personal freedom of expression. The law has also proposed to scrap newspapers. This provision contradicts the fundamental rights of the Constitution and also contradicts with federal laws.
The new media bill proposed by the provincial government has also the provision of suspending publication, broadcasting of media outlets if contents published in the newspaper defames or hurts someone.
A delegation of rights activists including those from JuRI-Nepal on July 26 submitted a memorandum to the internal affairs and law minister to express their concerns about controversial media bill. They urged the minister (through secretary) to initiate the dialogue with concerned stakeholders and amend the bill in accordance with constitutional provision and federal media laws. Federal government was suggested not to include provisions of prosecution in provincial media law going against the spirit of the Constitution and federal media law. They argue the provincial government has no legal authority to take action against any media organization and journalists. According to them, federal media law prevails in case government action is needed and provincial media law cannot take action against media houses and journalists.
Dismayed by the provision of establishing a separate press council in the province the delegation has suggested not to have any kind of media controlling authority in the province in the name of provincial press council.
The organizations have urged the provincial government to empower the Office of the Press Registrar as provisioned in the law instead of creating new institutions to curtail media rights. Arguing that media law itself will be ineffective if the authorities don’t hold talks with the authorities concerned and amend the controversial provisions. Please click here for the full text in Nepali.