FOI, Seychelles needs that too

I got asked a question recently from a Seychellois living abroad about the Freedom of Information (FOI) concept in Seychelles. The person wanted to know why I don’t use FOI as a journalistic tool to scrutinize the government and ensure more transparency in LSH’s reporting.

FOI is a system to control access to official documents and a means by which journalists, and citizens, can scrutinise and publicise the work of governments.

It is a modern concept that most democratic and liberal societies are putting into law. To date, over 90 countries around the globe have enacted some form of FOI legislation. Sweden’s Freedom of the Press Act of 1766 is the oldest in the world.

 

Amongst the 53 African states only four have some form of FOI legislation – South Africa (2000), Zimbabwe (2002), Uganda (2008) and Nigeria (2011). Is that surprising in any way? FOI laws deal with official documents of an agency or a minister, and sometimes government-owned corporations and certain contractors, but have only limited range over Parliaments, law enforcement agencies and the courts. FOI is a human right and countries that are opposing its enactment are in violation of international human rights law. The delaying tactics in enacting the FOI Act serves to show the world that these governments are failing in their duties to promote openness. 

So in answer to my friend’s question, Seychelles is far from even discussing openly the idea of introducing the concept of FOI. Over here the culture of managing the flow of information to the media and the public at large prevails. The free media is not invited to any government official press briefings as a means of ensuring that the community hears their preferred message above all others. But am happy that he has raised the point and that we can know start a public dialogue on the issue.

Every local organisation concerned with FOI, government accountability, the right to disseminate information and also the pursuit of transparency should come together and agitate for this much needed piece of legislation. Today our population is interested in several areas of government such as sale of state land, economic management, key infrastructure projects, the management of major sports and events, security clearance procedures, the management of major funds like the Children’s Fund and any systemic corruption which we can only start to comprehend fully with the help of FOI.

Let the dialogue begin

As a newspaper, LSH often writes on social affairs in an attempt to make a difference in our society or try to exploit an issue which is topical and generating the public’s interest.

These pieces are often written whilst we are feeling positive about change. Does this kind of journalism change anything? We don’t know, but are always enthusiastic and optimistic. It’s what we do, what we can do, what we have time to do. We know it’s not enough, but we have to keep at it. We are serious of doing our bit in our country’s nation building process. 

The reason we have to highlight this fact today is because the level of pointless political attacks on journalism saddens us in this country. Political parties need to make the distinction of when a journalist as a private citizen is making a social commentary as oppose to a politician making a political argument at a political rally.

We have reason to believe there is a serious misunderstanding of what any serious journalism is all about in this country.

We don’t do this job because we want to antagonize as many public figures as possible in the name of selling papers. We do it because so many things are going wrong in different bits of Seychelles’ public life, and in the small way that writing articles allows, we want to ask why – by exerting the necessary level of pressure, sometimes flatter and yes we are willing to embarrass those who can give us an answer as well.

LSH journalists are not creatures of the established norm locally that you cannot bring forth something until you have been granted the go ahead officially. Yes we are not always “objective” and “neutral” because we strongly feel that the status quo does not have the monopoly on all ideas on these islands. Who says their views have more authority than any other possible stance? This is why we will continue to promote the other side of all arguments despite the underlying suspicion that we are promoting a particular political view. We simply feel the most important dialogue and exchange of ideas is just beginning.

MFA reacts to LSH article

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a letter to LSH saying it ‘wholeheartedly rejects’ the claims made in our front page article of 18^th January.

The letter signed by the MFA Press Attaché disputed LSH’s argument that the Ministry’s communiqué dated 15^th December 2012 was a “lie to get the world’s attention off Seychelles” after reports in the international media that Sakhr El Materi was arrested at Pointe Larue airport.  

The MFA has since confirmed the presence of Mr. El Materi in the country.  It is also interesting to note how the MFA tried to come to the defense of the other Government agencies by claiming that “a better article would include research and consultation with the various agencies and offices implicated in the article.”

It is very easy for the MFA to assume that all other Government agencies have an open door policy like they do. Unfortunately that is not the case. In recent weeks we have emailed State House press office about the National Emergency Foundation, we have contacted the Ministry of Finance about the possibility of getting a copy of the National Budget document and also about the bonus scheme in Government and we have inquired about the A’ Level results with the School of Advance Level Studies (SALS) and the Ministry of Education amongst others. What has happened to all our efforts to research and consult with the various agencies and offices implicated in the articles we wanted to write about? Nothing! All of them are not interested in answering our questions; they simply want to feed us with prepared press communiqués.

The onus now is on the various agencies and offices to come clean and defend themselves. I hope they have heard about the phrase “Silence means acceptance.”