Media group voices concerns on
media law to parliamentarians
~ To meet with Central Committee of Parliament, technical group ~
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Media Workers Association (SMWA) voiced its concerns about the draft media law currently being discussed at the Central Government level, during a meeting with National Alliance (NA) Parliamentarian William Marlin and Democratic Party (DP) Parliamentarian Erno LaBega on Thursday.
Several media house managers/owners were also invited to the meeting to table their concerns on the draft law. Both Marlin and LaBega pledged to ensure that the newly formed association would have a hearing with the technical committee that drafted the Media Law and with the Central Committee of Parliament, which is expected to meet in St. Maarten during the Parliamentary Week of November 19.
Marlin told the media group the technical committee would be able to shed light on the intention of the law and the reasons behind its birth. He said the media group would also be able to table its concerns to the Central Committee. “I propose that we voice to the Minister [of Education Omayra Leeflang] that there are concerns from St. Maarten and that we share some of those concerns.”
Eddy Williams of Radio Soualiga objected to the section of the draft law stipulating that the contents of programming have to be approved prior to airing, as being too cumbersome. He said the law was a “step back” some 40 years in history when it was a requirement for the content of radio programmes to be submitted to a Chief of Police.
“This encroaches on freedom of the press and freedom of speech,” Williams told the parliamentarians. “And this is enough grounds for this law to be thrown out of Parliament.”
He said too that certain regulations already existed to govern radio stations and noted that public opinion also influenced the press. “This is like creating a whole new monster for conditions that are already there,” Williams said.
Glen Carty of Philipsburg Broadcasting questioned whether the Minister was pushing the law because of negative coverage by the Curaçao press, but Marlin said the law had been initiated in 1995 when Leeflang was not yet in Government.
Today newspaper reporter Hilbert Haar and The Daily Herald journalist Gino Bernadina, who along with SMWA Treasurer John van Kerkhof were part of a committee that studied the draft law, said there should be no political interference in free press.
Philipsburg Broadcasting Managing Director Francis Carty said that if enacted, the law would give the minister the power to close down the operations of a radio station by turning down its licence. He also expressed concerns that two licences were needed by radio stations under the proposed law, which would have to be renewed annually.
Calling on the parliamentarians to support the local media group in denouncing the draft law, SMWA President Alfred Harley said the law infringed on press freedom. “It is our primary position that this law threatens the freedom of the press. We further believe that this law provides government with an unfair advantage that allows suppression of truth whenever it feels it’s necessary, and promotes censorship, which is not in keeping with democracy,” Harley said.
In a letter to the parliamentarians outlining SMWA’s position, Harley said the law spoke of the Netherlands Antilles as if to suggest that existence of the Antilles was permanent, and did not give Country St. Maarten an opportunity to act on its own behalf.
“Considering that the Netherlands Antilles will within 14 months no longer exist, we urge you competent parliamentarians to support our move for an end to such a proposed law and ensure it is never passed on principle, as it imposes unfair and irregular restrictions on media houses and media professionals, and destroys the future of democracy,” he said.
Also at the meeting were SMWA Secretary Duane Robin and Assistant Secretary Judy Fitzpatrick.
