Following the cabinet decision to ban all live coverage of opposition –led defiance campaign, broadcasters are set to meet and forge a way forward.
Earlier today, the minister for information Jim Muhwezi said cabinet had decided to enforce the court order that stopped this campaign and any other related activities forthwith.
Muhwezi adds that also banned are all talk shows on matters relating to the defiance campaign and that news stories relating to the same shall be run at the risk of the individual journalist and the media organization.
Now according to the chairman National Association of Broadcasters Kin Karisa, the directive is a direct infringement on press freedom and thus an urgent meeting is to be held to reach a common ground.
Human rights defenders have too condemned the government’s decision to ban the live broadcast of the oppositions’ defiance campaign.
The Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative Dr. Livingstone Ssewanyana says the directive raises questions about fundamental rights.
He adds that such a directive coupled with an earlier court order barring the defiance campaign is a total violation of both freedom of expression for the journalists and freedom of association for the FDC party.
He advises the opposition to appeal against the government directive in the courts of law for justice.
Surprisingly though, the Uganda Peoples ‘congress faction led by Jimmy Akena has welcomed a cabinet decision that barred live media coverage of the opposition-led defiance campaign.
Addressing a news conference this morning, Akena said as a political party, FDC should concentrate on promoting unity and fighting ignorance, poverty and disease among citizens rather than defying defying the sitting government.
