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| WAPC>Previous Documents | |
| Proposals of Turkish Press Council | |
| Saturday, November 01, 2003 | |
In principle The Turkish Press Council agrees on what Justice Sawant proposed
to amend the Constitution.
But:
1 - We are not that sure that the name of WAPC should be changed to WAMC. It we
can find any other solution to include the "media" but not change the name of
the organization, we would prefer it. But we do not insist on it.
2- As many members of the WAPC are calling themselves "Press Council", the
amendment should clearly state that, the term of "Media" includes "Press"
Councils.
3-The third paragraph of the PREAMBLE (of the amendment) should read:
"AND WHEREAS according to universally accepted values, freedom of communication
has emerged as a right of all humanity and its corollary freedom of expression
and freedom of the media,
4- The sixth paragraph should read:
"AND WHEREAS it is recognized that the free media must be accountable to the
public, but not to any source of power including the government,"
5- As we are going to amend the Constitution we are not sure to keep the 10th
paragraph of the Preamble and say that:
"(....) under which Press Councils operate (...)"
6- The paragraph "b" of the Article Article 3 (in Justice Sawant's proposal)
should finish with,
"(-..) accountability of the media" not with"(-..) accountability of the press".
7- The Article 5 of the proposal should read as:
"A session of the General Assembly may be convened by the President, by the
Chairman of the Executive Council or by the Secretary General or on a request
addressed to the President by not less than four members or one fourth of the
total number of members by cable, telex, fax, e-mail, facsimile transmission or
similar communication.
8- Not in the actual Constitution only but in the Proposal also it is not dear
who (the member Press Councils or its representatives) is is going to be vested
with the right of vote, paragraph 5.4 of the proposal should read as:
"Ordinary Members at a session of the General Assembly may vote in person or by
cable, telex, fax, e-mail, facsimile transmission or similar communication.
However each representative of the Ordinary Members will have one vote only. (Or
we must make clear that one member Media Council or similar body) has one vote
only.
9- The same question apples to paragraph 5.5. That is why it should read as:
"The General Assembly may by resolution adopted by a simple majority of those
Representatives of Ordinary Members (or member Media Councils or similar bodies)
voting at a session:
(...)
10- The Article 6 should be changed and, number 6.6 paragraph should be put as
paragraph 6.3 according to the order of the organization.
11- The last paragraph of the same article should finish as:
"(...) co-opt additional Members of the Executive Council."
12-Article 9.1 says that:
"every ordinary member is represented on the Executive Council" which is
perfectly acceptable. But if every ordinary member is going to be represented
(meaning every ordinary member is going to be the member of the Executive
Council) why an election is needed to appoint the representatives of the member
Councils?
13- The title of Article 10 of the Proposal should read as:
"Powers and Functions of the President, the Chairman of the Executive Council
and other Office bearers.
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