Nepal Media Group Demands Free Poll Access

Text of report by Nepalese state-owned newspaper Gorkhapatra website on 9 April

[Attributed to national news agency Rashtriya Samachar Samiti]

Kathmandu, 8 April [Tuesday]: The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has expressed concern over the incident of the CPN [Communist Party of Nepal]-Maoist workers creating obstruction to the media persons in the collection and dissemination of news in the run-up to the election in different places of the country.

Calling upon the sides concerned to extend cooperation in preventing such incidents and in the exercise of unrestricted press freedom, FNJ has drawn the attention of the government to give special attention for the security of journalists mobilized for collection and dissemination of news.

The FNJ has requested the Election Commission and the district election offices concerned for the smooth distribution of press passes and vehicle permission passes by rethinking the present provision of distributing press passes to, and the permit for the use of vehicles for, journalists, as many journalists and media will be left out due to this system on the day of the election.

The federation has started media monitoring on the topic of access to information, movement of media persons and the security of the media and the media persons throughout the country through national and international missions and the local branches.

Originally published by Gorkhapatra website, Kathmandu, in English 9 Apr 08.

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