The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) congratulates its affiliatethe Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) on the 57th anniversary of its Establishment Day, on March 29.
Originally formed as the Nepal Journalists’ Association (NJA) on March 29,1956 under the chairmanship of journalist and political leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, (who later became Nepal’s first Prime Minister), it became the Federation of Nepali Journalists in 1995.
The FNJ represents over 8,000 media personnel working in all areas of print, electronic and online media across Nepal. The FNJ works to promote and protect freedom of the press and expression and has been instrumental in campaigning for the promulgation of Nepal’s new Constitution by its May deadline this year.
The 57th anniversary was marked with the slogan “Peace and Constitution before May 27”. On March 29 the FNJ Secretariat organised a rally under this banner. FNJ President Shiva Gaule addressed the rally and highlighted the FNJ’s continuously work for press freedom, the right to information, and the protection of journalists’ rights. Nepal is currently governed under the 2007 Interim Constitution.
The Interim document has been criticised as not fully meeting internationally recognised standards of freedom of expression. A new Constitution was to be promulgated by May 28, 2011, but this deadline was not met. Following a number of extensions, the new constitution is to be settled by May 27, this year.
Speaking to the rally, President Gaule said journalists would be obligated to take to the streets if a new constitution, guaranteeing press freedom and civil rights was not ready by its May deadline.
An International Media Mission, including the IFJ, the FNJ, and other international media freedom organisations met in Nepal between 23-27 February, and found that the constitutional draft proposes freedom of expression guarantees weaker than those found in the 1990 Constitution, in particular, owing to the vague language used to describe the permissible restrictions to these rights, which could be abused to unduly limit them.
On the anniversary of the FNJ’s establishment, IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park urged that a new Constitution “must include the necessary provisions to allow a free and independent press to thrive”.
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