Kabul, Sep 28, 2013
The Lower House of Afghan Parliament debating the amendments in the Mass Media law decided to establish the Media Complaint Commission and minister of information and culture should head it.
Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, the religious, cultural and education commission deputy head, said the government had sought amendments to the articles 42, 43 and 44.
In response to the request, the lower house approves the amendments to establish the Media Complaint Commission; payment of wages of members and decided minister should lead the panel, he said.
But MP Ramazan Bashardost opposed the decision, believing the minister would run the commission according to his own whims. “The commission will thus lose its independence and credibility.”
The Ministry and various media support organizations have been struggling over the creation of the Commission in the past four years.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center has repeatedly sought for the removal of the Media Complaints Commission from within the ministry.
It has said that the Commission doesn't follow a legal path as it isn't under the umbrella of the Mass Media Law.
According to the article 42, for the purpose of appropriate regulating of activities of the mass media, a Mass Media Commission shall be established comprising of (7) members selected from amongst professional people, with higher education and experienced in the field of journalism for periods of 3 to 2 years.
Article 43 states that the Commission shall have the duty and authority to review application for print media and online media and proposing their registration and issuance of license to Ministry of Information and Culture, monitor the activities of the mass media, review the complaints by the mass media and solve their legal disputes, refer mass media violations with criminal nature to justice institutions, provide technical consultations to the officials of mass media, supervise the financial, administrative and broadcasting affairs of the National Radio TV, scrutinize annual budget of the RTA and submit annual report to the High Media Council.
Prior to that, the Information and Culture Minister Sayed Makhdom Rahin had said that articles of the Law aren't proper and needs further discussion, post which amendments will be made.
The current Afghan Media Law was passed in 2002 and was revised following an increase in media organizations. It was approved by the Afghan Parliament in 2007. The Media Law was revised for the third time in 2009 and was finally approved and published in 54 articles in the same year.