TANZANIA WARNS LOCAL MEDIA AGAINST QUOTING FOREIGNERS

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