FOI, Broadcast legislation list among priority Bills - Dr Luncheon

FOI, Broadcast legislation list among priority Bills – Dr Luncheon

Oct 02, 2009 News

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, yesterday announced that the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI) as well as the long-awaited Broadcast Legislation are among the priority Bills slated for the National Assembly when it reconvenes later this month.
This disclosure was made during Dr Luncheon’s weekly post Cabinet press briefing.
According to Dr Luncheon the Bills identified were significant pieces of the legislation but at the time could not vouch for their origin adding that he was certain they will be tabled and gazetted.
He was responding to a question about whether the Bills were those of previous drafts pointing out that when they become gazetted one would be able to discern whether they are akin to any previous drafts.
The announcement on FOI came after missing one deadline and President Bharrat Jagdeo announcing October as a new one.
The President, while at the Summit of Americas in Trinidad and Tobago, had made the announcement that Guyana will soon have FOI.
Leader of the Alliance for Change, Raphael Trotman, had tabled and later suspended similar legislation, given that he had wanted the full support of the House before proceeding.
Efforts to contact Trotman yesterday proved futile but this newspaper has learnt that to date there has been no consultation with that party on the drafting of such legislation.
He is on record, however, as saying that he was heartened to hear that such legislation would be imminent.
According to Trotman, the Bill that was tabled by him was not a piece that he “just imagined” pointing to the fact that it was based on a model that is in force in Trinidad and Tobago.
He added that the Bill has been thoroughly addressed by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.
According to Trotman one would have considered that in an effort to save time, the government would have at least worked with the one that was tabled, questioning if they found the Bill in his name, “totally unacceptable.”
“We are already drafting it (FOI)…It is something in my manifesto…we have already gone beyond many countries in terms of changes to the constitutional system,” Jagdeo told media operatives in Trinidad.
Trotman had recently told this newspaper that he was disappointed that the Government did not see it fit to support the Freedom of Information legislation in 2008 but was, nevertheless, optimistic for 2009.
He had noted that his disappointment was further fuelled by the fact that the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association had held a workshop for Parliamentarians and media operatives, where Freedom of Information (FOI) was extensively discussed.
He conceded that legislation such as the FOI will take time, but pointed out that there was a resounding call by Guyanese, who were now beginning to understand the importance of such a piece of legislation, as well as the calls from the international organisations.
Trotman emphasised that Freedom of Information is important for good governance and transparency.
The essence of the Freedom of Information Act, according to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), is the empowerment of the populace to request any piece of information (with few exceptions, such as medical records) held by a public authority.

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FOI, Broadcast legislation list among priority Bills – Dr Luncheon

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