Freedom Of Information Bill Draws Fire From Opposition MPs | The Reporter Ethiopia

Concerns abound about limitations, vague clauses

If a new law tabled to Parliament is ratified, citizens and the media will be barred from accessing information tied to government activity against insurgents and enemies of the state.

This week saw a draft Freedom of Information Proclamation make its way to lawmakers for the first time, marking a significant milestone in a country where data is difficult to access. The draft, however, has drawn criticism from MPs for its limitations and vagueness.

As it stands, the proclamation would prohibit access to cabinet documents, “internal operations and deliberations of public bodies,” commercial activity of public bodies, economic and financial information, defense and security, international relations data, and virtually all information tied to third parties.

The draft grants all public offices the right to decline any information requests related to “any type of activity conducted to monitor and control the activities of enemies or insurgents.” This includes information about armaments and weaponry, methods of collecting information related to security, confidential informants, and intelligence.

When the bill was tabled to Parliament on Thursday, the few sitting opposition MPs voiced strong criticisms against the limitations.

Among them was Desalegn Chane (PhD), a member of the National Movement of Amhara (NAMA).

“I don’t believe Article 18 of the draft, which stipulates activities related to enemies and insurgents, national defence, or security and safety information, is properly defined,” said the MP, calling on its authors to clarify definitions to avoid open interpretation and protect the public’s right to access information.

“Unless these terms are clearly stated, they could be misused to cover misconduct within defence, intelligence, police, and security institutions. The bill must define what specific damage could result if certain information is released from security and defence institutions,” said Desalegn.

The draft proposes that public offices and private organizations will designate information officers who will handle all requests for access to information. Government institutions are obliged to respond to these requests given they do not fall under one of the many exemptions, according to the draft.

“Any official, employee, or expert of a public body or private organization shall have the duty to cooperate with the information officer in the performance of their duties or functions,” it reads.

These officers will reserve the right to issue an injunction on accessibility, classifying information for 15 years or more in some cases, according to the draft.

The draft has been referred to the Democratic Affairs Standing Committee for further scrutiny.

(Sisay Sahlu contributed to this article)