Press Council Nepal (PCN) has demanded the withdrawal of the ordinance registered by the Lumbini Province Government to streamline media terming that it infringed freedom of the press.
The Ordinance mandates that a Communication Council will be formed having secretaries of provincial ministries and Minister for Internal Affairs and Law as its Chairperson.
The registrar under the Council could sentence the media persons breaching the media code of conducts or could bring such erring journalists to book.
The Council will have the authority to conduct media monitoring in compliance with the international journalists’ code of conduct.
Issuing a press statement here today, the Press Council has expressed its qualm over the ordinance and said it was against the international best practices on the press and media persons that should be allowed to function independently and impartially.
The Ministry for Internal Affairs and Law registered the Ordinance which the Press Council Nepal claimed was against the spirit of the freedom of the press.
The Council has been working towards the promotion and monitoring of the media and has been in existence in accordance with the Press Council Nepal-2048 BS. The Council contributes to the promotion of freedom of the press guaranteed by the constitution of Nepal and has tooth against offending media and media persons.
The Council has urged all the provincial governments not to take any initiatives that would infringe the freedom of expression and freedom of the press as it has taken cognisance of many similar organizational structures as the Press Council Nepal established in many provinces to regulate media.
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