On Tuesday, the Committee on Education, Culture, and Communication in the House of Representatives gave the green light to a bill aimed at reorganizing the National Press Council (CNP). This decision came during a session attended by the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, where the bill was passed with 18 votes in favor and 7 against, with no abstentions. Throughout the meeting, committee members scrutinized 249 proposed amendments touching on every facet of the bill. These included general provisions, the Council's missions, its composition, the procedures for electing and appointing members representing professional journalists and publishers, as well as its administrative and financial framework. Opposition members voiced strong objections to the provision allowing publishers to be appointed rather than elected, arguing that elections are the pinnacle of democratic practice. They asserted that appointments could undermine the Council's independence and democratic legitimacy. In response to the rejected amendment, Bensaid clarified that the distinction between electing professional journalists and appointing publishers was intentional, reflecting the unique nature of each group. He emphasized that the appointment mechanism is a form of representation rooted in consensus. Out of the 249 proposed amendments, 45 were adopted. Significantly, lawmakers removed a provision in Chapter Nine concerning disciplinary sanctions, which had previously allowed for the suspension of a periodical or online publication for up to 30 days. Several other articles received unanimous approval, including Article 68 on mediation and arbitration, which sets a three-month mediation period, and Article 82, which specifies the two scenarios in which the president can immediately refer a complaint to the Committee on Ethics and Disciplinary Affairs.
