Burundi passes new press bill

The Burundian Parliament Lower Chamber -- the National Assembly Wednesday evening passed the new press bill, annulling amendments on revealing sources of information and provisions forbidding journalists to report on security and economy issues.

Burundian Information, Communication, Telecommunications and Relations with the Parliament Minister Tharcisse Nkezabahizi had been invited to the National Assembly to answer MPs' questions.

After the adoption of the bill, Nkezabahizi commended the work of MPs for analyzing and passing an "adequate" press bill.

"This press bill has removed transactional fines and provisions on revealing sources of information because this had raised polemics," said Nkezabahizi.

According to him, the new press bill will "strengthen" relations between the government (of Burundi) and media.

Burundi Journalists' Union (BJU) Chairman Alexandre Niyungeko congratulated MPs for passing a good press bill.

"We are very satisfied with the highly appreciable work of the National Assembly for removing amendments on revealing sources of information and articles forbidding journalists to report on the so-called sensitive issues like security and economy," said BJU Chairman Alexandre Niyungeko.

He however regretted that MPs did not remove the decriminalization of press libels.

The press law that contained media restrictions had been promulgated in June 2013, but media organizations had rejected several provisions and had sued the government at the Burundian Constitutional Court and at the East African Court of Justice and had won the case on many provisions. Endi