NASS management Bars journalists from covering inauguration of new lawmakers

Despite the withdrawal of the draconian
guidelines for the accreditation of journalists,
the National Assembly Management has again
moved to bar over 150 accredited journalists
from covering the inauguration of the 9th
national assembly on Tuesday, June 11.
The decision which is coming barely three weeks
after the management of the national assembly
suspended the move to issue fresh guidelines to
the journalists covering the parliament.
The new move was discovered on Thursday
following the instruction by the management
that only 10 reporters would be allowed to cover
the inauguration as far as print media is
concerned, just as few of television and radio
reporters were selected for the event.
Out of over 15 photojournalists covering the two
chambers, only one was accredited to cover the
event, making the list of a very few names
selected out of the 160 registered journalists
who are members of the House and Senate Press
Corps.
List of journalists shortlisted to cover 9th
Assembly inauguration
Since 1999 accredited journalists covering the
legislature have been allowed to occupy the
press gallery to cover the proceedings while
other reporters monitored the proceedings via
live telecast from the screen mounted at the
press centre.
But the provisions were not allowed with this
restriction as those that were not included in
the list will not be allowed to have access to the
National Assembly.
The implication of the latest arrangement is
that some media houses would be locked out of
the complex until the entire proceedings are
concluded on Tuesday.