{{The European Union yesterday joined rights activists in a chorus of condemnation at government’s decision to ban Mwananchi and Mtanzania newspapers and urged authorities to do whatever they could to preserve the freedom of expression and the right to information.}}
The EU expressed its conviction that a constructive dialogue between the government and media stakeholders would have sorted out any differences.
The EU position comes just a day after outgoing US ambassador to Tanzania Alfonso Lenhardt, voiced against the temporal ban of the newspapers for 14 and 90 days respectively, saying the move was counter to democracy whose central tenet is freedom of the press.
Yesterday, the EU said in a statement that it was concerned about the government’s decision to temporarily suspend the two newspapers and restrictions on ‘Mwananchi’ website and the ‘Rai’ newspaper. EU heads of mission in Tanzania said that it was the duty of the media to work within the law and to make every effort to adopt and adhere to professional standards.
The statement read further that: “But press freedom and freedom of expression are fundamental rights of the people, which call for circumspection and proportionality in the application of the laws that govern the media.”
NMG
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