INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, September 1
Main opposition party Nepali Congress has submitted proposal seeking amendment to the Media Council Bill in the
National Assembly.
Three NC lawmakers led by SaritaPrasai, chief whip of its parliamentary party, registered amendment proposal at the
Secretariat of the Upper House today
Three months after registration of the bill by the government, it was tabled in the National Assembly for consideration by soliciting
amendment proposals from all parliamentary parties.
The NC has proposed a number of amendments to the controversial bill.
Section 18 (1) of
the bill stipulated a provision that if any media published news contents in contravention of the code of conduct, and if an investigation
launched after the affected party complaint found that such news content damaged reputation of the complainant, then the media council could
impose fine between Rs 25,000 and one million rupees on media outlets, publishers, editors, journalists and reporters
Section 18 (2) of the bill stated that the council could order erring parties to pay compensation if the content in media damaged reputation
In the amendment proposal, the NC has proposed for removal of this provision.
&The guilty party will have to make public apology or will be
blacklisted for the offence committed
No publisher shall be punished for such offence,& the proposal read
It also suggested for removal of section 19, which was concerned with action against the publishers, editors, journalists or reporters, for
violation of code of conduct.
The proposal stated that the media council should be chaired by a person having gained qualification
equivalent to that of a Supreme Court justice instead of a person with qualification of bachelor degree and having work experience of
&There should be at least two members, including a lawmaker of the main opposition party and a woman, as members of the council,& it read
The NC has demanded that the president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists be nominated as a member of the council.
Earlier, the
National Assembly had claimed that a consensus on the controversial bill was forged among political parties and the FNJ, after it drew flak
from the opposition parties, media fraternity and stakeholders.
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