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| Tanzania government spokesperson, Hassan Abbasi |
NAIROBI, Kenya
The government of Tanzania through its spokesman is warning
local media houses and practitioners that the government will take action against
them for quoting foreigners or foreign media.
Hassan Abbasi issued the threat
Wednesday after the United States and United Kingdom expressed concerns about
irregularities in the local elections held Sunday in Tanzania.
The U.S. Embassy said in a
statement that election officials overwhelmingly excluded opposition candidates
during the election process.
British Ambassador Sarah Cooke
said the lack of accreditation for credible domestic observers, the coordinated
disqualification of opposition candidates and the opposition’s decision to
boycott the vote had denied Tanzanians the opportunity to decide local leaders
in a free fair and transparent manner.
“It has
emerged now days again, habit of local media houses and practitioners quoting
foreigners’ reports or being used to disseminate baseless foreign news reports
and propaganda against our country." He said in his twitter page.
He further
alleged that most of the foreign news being disseminated in the country lack
merit, professionalism and do not follow laid regulations. “Because of that,
the government has directed enough, has warned and pardon enough; what remains now
is to take stern disciplinary according to the law.” Threaten the spokesman.
During four years in power, the administration of Tanzanian President, John
Magufuli, has stifled independent journalism and severely restricted the
activities of non-governmental groups.
Free media has been intimidated by draconian cybercrime laws, critical
newspapers and bloggers have been silenced, and opposition activists have been
harassed, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. - Africa
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