Lomé – The overwhelming majority of the Togolese media on Tuesday
observed a blackout to protest against the law strengthening the
administrative and disciplinary powers of the Supreme Audiovisual
and Communication Authority (HAAC), the media regulatory body.
The news stands had only the government daily, Togo Presse, and three
newspapers close to the ruling majority while privately-owned radio
stations suspended their programmes and played only music.
It will be recalled that on Feb. 19 the national assembly passed a
legislation giving sweeping administrative and disciplinary powers of
the media regulatory body.
The law gives HAAC the power to suspend the publication of newspapers
and radio and television programmes, impose financial penalties,
withdraw the press card and seize the broadcast antenna of radio
stations without resorting to the courts as was stipulated in the
previous law.
The only possibility offered to the media is to resort to the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court.
Whereas media organisations describe the law as a “real eroding of
press freedom in Togo’’, the Togolese authorities say it would “give
powers to HAAC to mitigate the excesses noted in the media world”.
In addition to the press blackout day, media organisations have
called on journalists and Togolese people as a whole to demand for
freedom of expression and the media in the West African country by
dressing in red or carrying red banners on Wednesday.
On Thursday, journalists are called on to “massively mobilise’’ to
stage a sit-in in front of the presidency from 0800 to1200 GMT.
(PANA/NAN)
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