Hargeisa-29,Nov,2011-(Berberanews)-Somaliland Journalism Associations (SOLJA) condemned Somaliland Attorney General’s decision to ban the registration of new newspapers as well as the Media at large until further changes of Somaliland press/Media law is made.
In a press release the director of SOLJA Mr. Hassan Mohamed Yusuf accompanied by the secretary of SOLJA Mr. Mohamed Rashid and SOLJA’s legal attorney Mr. Mohamoud A/Rahman Nur denounced the attorney generals’ letter banning the registration and said Somaliland government infringes our constitutional rights and at the same time trying to hold the press hostage. Attorney for SOLJA Mr. Mohamoud Rashid Nur believes that the sole purpose behind this rule is to introduce a new and austere law for the press while deliberately ignoring the currently in place law which was signed by both the president as well as Parliament of Somaliland.
In the press conference held at Haraf hotel, Hargeisa. The lawyer for SOLJA Mr. Nur objecting the rule strenuously explained the rights of the press clearly indicates on the Somaliland constitution. Mr. Nur went on further by mentioning Article # 32 of Somaliland Constitution, which gives the rights for a journalist to write and speak freely without fear or favour and so forth. He continued by saying that paragraph 3 of the article (Article # 32) specifically points out the press and other media are part of the fundamental freedoms of expression, fundamental rights and freedoms are those Article 21 of the Somaliland Constitution ordered state officials to respect and The provisions of this Part shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with human rights laws, hence, all acts to subjugate them are prohibited. Somaliland Press law (law no: 27/2004), is the law which regulates Somaliland press, Article 6 of the law gives the attorney general the responsibility of the press registration, he has to observe if the applicants indeed fulfill the conditions laid in Article 7 of the law. However, the Actions taken by the Attorney General shows that he clearly overstepped the boundaries of the purely administrative duties given to his office by the Press Law, thus causing a violation to the fundamental rights and freedom of the press from the Somaliland constitution. The Press Law does not contemplate ability for the Attorney General to take the decisions he has taken as it only gives him administrative duties.
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The director of SOLJA Mr. Yusuf speaking to the press said “It deeply saddens me to have previously witnessed the government’s cancelation of an independent news broadcaster and once again today witnessing this”. He further went on and said “ To my sheer dismay I cannot fathom why would the current government( Kulmiye Party) refuse registering any new independent newspaper/s and T.V broadcasting station/s? “So- Mr. President Siilanyo”, he continued, “are you going to take the same steps the previous government saw and described it as a disgraceful action to take”?.
This deliberate action taken by this government will not hold the press back says SOLJA secretary Mr. Rashid. “With all honesty, you (Somaliland Government) cannot lead a country while denying the rights and freedom of the people and rest assured that we will not back down” Mr. Hassan said.
The director of SOLJA on his final statement said “Human beings are not a cattle or sheep that obeys unlawful rules forcefully and they are not ignorant society which will be imprisoned without any logic or judicious reason/s. Thus, we are asking the government to respectfully re-consider this illicit and unjustified rule”.
