No need for discussions

The Permanent Secretary for Information Major Neumi Leweni has revealed that it will be no use to sit down with the Fiji Media Council and discuss the presence of Ministry of Information officers and police officers at media outlets.Major Leweni said what chairman Daryl Tarte should realize is that the Public Emergency Regulation is already in place and a meeting would be fruitless.This is after Tarte revealed that he would have to sit down with Fiji Media Council at the end of this month to discuss the issue surrounding the deployment of Ministry of Information personnel and Police Officers at different media outlets.Tarte had said that this is a serious issue and he needs to discuss it with the council members before concentrating on other steps.Two personnel from the Ministry of Information have been placed at different media outlets while news directors have been advised to ensure nothing inciteful is broadcast or printed based on the Public Emergency Regulation, which is now in effect.Section 16 (1) of the PER which has been gazetted states:Where the Permanent Secretary for Information has reason to believe that any broadcast or publication may give rise to disorder and may thereby cause undue demands to be made upon the policie or the Armed Forces, or may result in a breach of the peace, or promote disaffection or public alarm, or undermine the Government and the State of Fiji, he or she may, by order, prohibit such broadcast or publication.Section 16 (2) states that:In order to give effect to subsection (1), any broadcaster or publisher upon direction by the Permanent Secretary for Information must submit to him or her all material for broadcast or publication material before broadcast or publication.Section 16 (3) states that:Any person or entity which fails in any way whatsoever to comply with the provisions of this section may be ordered by the Commissioner of Police or Officer Commanding upon advice from the Permanent Secretary for Information to cease all activities and operations. Fijivillage stresses that it never runs inciteful comments from any individual in any circumstance or in any situation. We continue to remain fair and balanced.