Zim law changes for 2008 poll
17/12/2007 17:02  - (SA)  

Want to know more? Answerit can help.

Zim softens oppressive laws Election deal nears in Zim? New laws a first step for Zim Zim attorney-general suspended Zim pushes ahead with polls Zim to reform electoral law?

Zimbabwe Special Report  Latest Zimbabwe Stories

Harare - President Robert Mugabe's government has amended tough security and media laws that critics say have helped him entrench his rule.

The changes to the Public Order and Security Act were agreed at talks, brokered by South African President Thabo Mbeki, between Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party and two factions of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The media will be opened up to foreign owners, but foreign journalists remain barred from working permanently in Zimbabwe.

Political parties seeking to hold public gatherings can now appeal to a magistrate if police turn down their application.

Currently they appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs who the opposition says is an interested party because he belongs to the governing party.

Police will also be required to "enter into dialogue" with the concerned party to explain the reasons for prohibiting a meeting, according to a government gazette on Monday.

2008 elections must be free and fair

In an attempt to end an economic and political crisis, Zanu-PF and the opposition had agreed on the need for a new constitution, the amendment of the security and media laws and an end to political violence to ensure that elections scheduled for 2008 are free and fair.

The MDC has not yet indicated if it will support the proposed changes when the bills are presented in Parliament. They wanted any changes to go through "in packages".

The government is also seeking to amend the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) by reconstituting a state-appointed commission that regulates the media.

Under the Act, members of the media commission, which is appointed by the Minister of Information, will now be appointed by the President from a list submitted by a bi-partisan Parliamentary committee and should have media experience.

The government used the act in 2003 to shut the Daily News - at that time the daily newspaper with the largest circulation - and its sister Sunday paper after the Supreme Court ruled the paper was acting outside the law by publishing without a licence.

The paper is still battling to get a licence.

Changes to the Broadcasting Services Act will allow foreigners to hold majority stakes in a broadcasting service.

What is this? Yahoo Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance
	News24 Headlines on your Facebook profile		News24 on mobile