Freedom of information bill approved

The government has examined and approved a press freedom bill intended to take into account “democratic development” in the Republic of Congo as well as changes in information technology. The bill “subjects the national communications set-up to the principles of multiparty democracy, free enterprise and competitiveness”, including a duty of responsible reporting and a right of reply, ministry of communications spokesman Francois Ibovi stated on Radio Congo in the state capital, Brazzaville. It was intended to facilitate the free flow of information while protecting people and institutions against possible excesses, he said. The bill confirmed the abolition of censorship and replaced imprisonment for defamation offences with fines. Three types of offence were outlined under the new set-up: offences against social set-ups, such as incitement to racial, tribal, ethnic, religious or philosophical hatred; insults, injurious and defamatory statements against individuals; and offences against the head of state, security of the state, authorities of the state or the morale of the security forces, the statement said. A Council of Communications has been established to assure competition, moral supervision and an improvement in quality in the information sector, in order that RoC can be properly integrated into the global information revolution, Ibovi added.