Mali's media governing council, journalists underline good coverage of elections

Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The High Authority for Communication (HAC), Mali's media regulatory body, has initiated action to ensure good coverage of the upcoming elections.

The President of HAC, Fodié Touré, initiated the action at a meeting held with the President of the Press House of Mali, Bandiougou Danté.

Speaking at the meeting, the President of the Press House reminded the media leaders that they should "be able to carry out their missions in accordance with the requirements of the moment and to perform their duties without contravening the laws and regulations in force in the media field".

The Terms of Reference (TOR) agreed at the meeting emphasises the importance of creating the conditions for adequate preparation of the media for a professional and responsible coverage of the elections.

The document stresses that the media must be fully involved in preventing electoral conflicts and contributing to the calming of the political and social climate.

The participants asked the HAC to draw up an action plan for the regulation of the media during elections.

According to Danté, the media and the HAC have an important role to play in the electoral process.

"So, we will try to work together to develop strategies to enable the media to cover the sensitive electoral periods with independence and professionalism."

The president of the HAC said that the adoption of a resolution aims to anticipate the crucial period of general elections in Mali, which could be before, during and after can lead to crises.

"I have no doubt that these resolutions will be translated into an action plan that will be drafted in the coming weeks and submitted to the authorities for accompanying measures to be taken," he said.

Mali is preparing from next March for a series of elections for the return to constitutional rule in April 2024

-0- PANA GT/JSG/BBA/MA 2Dec2022