Guinea finally allows private broadcasters
Guinea has finally become the last West African country to allow private broadcasters. The head of state, Gen. Lansana Conté, issued his long awaited decree to liberalize the country's airwaves.
A few interesting notes on the text of the decree:
-Broadcasters can not be affiliated with a political party (I wonder if this applies to state radio and television). Nor can they be affiliated with any religion, region or ethnic group
-Nobody can own more than one radio broadcasting station and/or television broadcasting station at a time
Of course, broadcasters still have to apply to the government's National Council on Communications.
Interestingly, the decree was prefaced wit hthe following justifications...
In view of the constitution in its Articles 7, 21, 22;
In view of Law No 91/05/ CTRN of 23 December 1991 on the freedom of the press, radio, television and communication generally;
In view of Law No 91/06/CTRN of 23 December 1991 on the establishment of the National Council on Communication;
In view of Law No 95/018/CTRN of 18 May 1995 on regulating radio communications in the Republic of Guinea
If this was justfied or required by laws and the constitution promulgated a decade or more ago, then why did it take the regime so long to open the airwaves?
posted by Brian @ Monday, August 29, 2005
2 comments
2 Comments:
It's quite good to know that another West African country has decided to liberalize its airwaves, even though it's belated as your said. My hope is that private broadcasters will be given the freedom to air their views, even when they run contrary to those of the government.
Chippla, I hope so too. Guinea has allowed private newspapers for a little over a decade. Conté's regime has alternated between allowing some criticism and cracking down. But given the increasing fragility of both the general and the Guinean state as a whole, I'm not as optimistic as I might have been earlier.
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