At the 10th Attorneys General Conference in Sigatoka, Deputy Information Secretary Maj. Neumi Leweni said even though the government is working on media promulgation, they should allay any fear or concerns that media freedom may be curtailed.
He said interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama had earlier assured the nation during this year’s World Press Freedom Day that media freedom in Fiji is guaranteed under the Constitution.
“This guarantee is specifically contained under Section 30 — Freedom of Expression, and Section 30 (b) Freedom of the Press and other Media,” Leweni said.
The government, he said, recognizes and values the role of the media as a public watchdog that keeps the government and other institutions fully accountable to the public.
“The government recognizes that the media has a significant part to play in conveying information for the purposes of informing, educating and entertaining the public, and that information ranges from the more serious issues of politics, economic, social and cultural interests to the lesser serious matters of entertainment and sports, etc, depending on one’s perception,” Leweni said.
He added that the interim government recognizes that it needs to foster and cultivate an improved relationship with the media as partners in national development.
“You will all agree that we have arrived at a critical juncture in our nation’s 38 years of independence,” said Leweni.
“This is a crucial time when we need to ask ourselves, where do we go from here, given our history,” he added.
