Caretaker President focuses on information sector reform

Caretaker President Foued Mebazaa received, on Thursday in Carthage, Chairman of the National Authority for Information and Communication Reform (NAICR) Kamel Laabidi. The meeting focused on reform efforts in the information field, particularly audiovisual media and obstacles and difficulties impeding the process of reform. The meeting was also an opportunity to stress the need to carry out all necessary reforms to enhance the sector's performance. Mr. Kamel Laabidi said he had found with the President a commitment to support any proposal in this direction and a will to take all needed measures to improve the performance of the information sector, so as to keep abreast with media in democratic systems and strengthen the process of democratic transition. The meeting, he added, also allowed to review the issue of separation between editing and advertising and emphasised the need to ban political advertising, particularly in audio-visual media in order to avoid mistakes made in countries that went through similar transitional phases. The Chairman of NAICR also pointed to the preparation of a draft decree-law on the creation of a regulation structure called "Higher Independent Broadcasting Authority." This mechanism will be responsible for organising the audio-visual sector and avoid any excesses likely to undermine the process of democratic transition which will culminate next October 23 in the election of the National Constituent Assembly.