Seychelles changes structure of govt paper

The Seychelles National Assembly has passed a bill that will transform the Seychelles Nation, the only national newspaper in the country, from a government department to an agency, according to a release from the Eastern Africa Journalists' Association.

The Nation, since its formation has been run as a government organ.  Parti Lepep, previously the SPPF, which is the majority party in the Natinal Assembly, voted in favour of the bill while the opposition Seychelles National Party (SNP), voted against.

In presenting the bill, the Minister for Finance, Danny Faure , explained its objects and reasons, as well as how the bill, if it becomes law, would be operationalised. He said the bill sought to establish an agency that would undertake the publication of the Seychelles Nation newspaper and provide information services to the public and State institutions.

It would be a body corporate established with the powers and functions necessary to fulfill its main objective of providing information in an efficient and cost effective manner. It would be managed by a board of directors appointed by the President, consisting of five members and a chief executive officer and a provision was made for the agency to have financial grants from the government.

“With this law,” he declared, the Seychelles Nation will be given a bigger push in disseminating  information effectively to the population”.

Even though the 'Seychelles National Party' agreed with the objects of the bill,  it was against the way the Director of the agency's board and the Chief Executive Officer of the newspaper would be appointed.

But the Seychelles National Party objected to the proposal on how the newspaper’s board of directors will be appointed.
“This is just another occasion to give the President the privilege of hand-picking individuals of his choice to run an organization which is supposed to represent the views of an entire population and not only those of the Government,” said the Leader of the Opposition, Wavel Ramkalawan.

“In this sort of framework, it is difficult for the newspaper to honour its obligations which are to report in an unbiased and effective way,” he added

-March 30 by Eastern African Journalist Association

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Source: www.journalism.co.za/index.php (accessed on 30.03.10)