‘Biased’ NBC blasted

TWO weeks before Namibians vote in presidential and general elections, five opposition parties have declared that the vote will not be free and fair because of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation’s bias in the allocation of radio airtime.

The Congress of Democrats, DTA of Namibia, Namibia Movement for Democratic Change and the South West Africa National Union (Swanu) have withdrawn from the NBC’s Election Forum. They accuse the national broadcaster of advancing the interest of the ruling Swapo Party.They said they would be joined by the National Unity Democratic Organisation.The parties claim that the NBC arranged the campaign programme in such a way that all opposition parties would be left with no airtime on national radio for the last 10 days before the elections.Only Swapo will be able to campaign on radio for the final 10 days because it was given 150 minutes compared to the 13 minutes granted to a party like Swanu.The opposition party allocated the most airtime was the CoD with 31 minutes.Monitor Action Group and the Republican Party were silent on the NBC ban.The United Democratic Front did not attend the meeting at which the decision was taken.”They [NBC] are not subscribing to journalistic standards.The ball is now in their court to correct the situation,” said Swanu leader Rihupisa Kandando.The five parties called a joint media briefing where all claimed unfairness in the allocation of airtime.The DTA’s Johan de Waal said all opposition parties will be silenced by the NBC as of Friday and it will not augur well for democracy in the country.”We will take up the matter with the SADC Parliamentary Observer Team and ask them to investigate the issue,” said De Waal.Rector Mutelo, Communications General Manager at the NBC, denied the allegations.According to him, the proportional airtime allocation was discussed with political parties and it was agreed that broadcasting be done in alphabetical order.”When the decision was taken, Swapo complained.All parties had a fair chance and it is now Swapo’s turn.Everything was agreed to,” said Mutelo.He said opposition parties agreed because they thought that they would reach the electorate before Swapo.Earlier, the NBC management went on air several times, claiming that their actions were guided by the Namibian Communications Commissions Act and that until such time as the Act was amended, they would follow the guidelines.Swanu studied the Act and pointed out to the NBC that they were wrong in quoting the Act.When the NBC failed to change the manner in which it allocated airtime, Swanu appointed lawyers PF Koep and Co to demand that the public broadcaster drop the proportional allocation.Shikongo Law Chambers, acting on behalf of the NBC, agreed that the NBC was not bound by the Namibia Communications Commission Act.The letter also conceded that the NBC Act made no specific provision for the allocation of airtime to political parties.The proportional airtime principle is stipulated in the Communications Commission Act, but the NBC is exempted from it.The NBC Act is silent on how much airtime should be allotted to political parties.However, the NBC’s lawyers then claimed that the broadcaster had done so at their own discretion.”If you have ever seen a funny discretion, then it is this one,” said De Waal.The CoD’s Tsudao Gurirab described the NBC as “puppets”.He claimed the NBC had already made up their minds on how to allocate time to political parties and had used the forum as a cover-up.”The basis of discretion is unfair.What kind of a discretion gives 15 per cent to one party and 150 per cent to another? We are not asking for mercy but equal airtime,” he said.Mutelo argued that the fact that all parties, including Swapo, are attacking the NBC means “we are doing a good job”.Kandando said Namibians must not be surprised if one of the opposition parties uses the basis of what transpired with the NBC to ask the High Court to declare the elections null and void.He said the NBC’s discretion militated against equality and fundamental freedoms.They accuse the national broadcaster of advancing the interest of the ruling Swapo Party.They said they would be joined by the National Unity Democratic Organisation.The parties claim that the NBC arranged the campaign programme in such a way that all opposition parties would be left with no airtime on national radio for the last 10 days before the elections.Only Swapo will be able to campaign on radio for the final 10 days because it was given 150 minutes compared to the 13 minutes granted to a party like Swanu.The opposition party allocated the most airtime was the CoD with 31 minutes.Monitor Action Group and the Republican Party were silent on the NBC ban.The United Democratic Front did not attend the meeting at which the decision was taken.”They [NBC] are not subscribing to journalistic standards.The ball is now in their court to correct the situation,” said Swanu leader Rihupisa Kandando.The five parties called a joint media briefing where all claimed unfairness in the allocation of airtime.The DTA’s Johan de Waal said all opposition parties will be silenced by the NBC as of Friday and it will not augur well for democracy in the country.”We will take up the matter with the SADC Parliamentary Observer Team and ask them to investigate the issue,” said De Waal.Rector Mutelo, Communications General Manager at the NBC, denied the allegations.According to him, the proportional airtime allocation was discussed with political parties and it was agreed that broadcasting be done in alphabetical order.”When the decision was taken, Swapo complained.All parties had a fair chance and it is now Swapo’s turn.Everything was agreed to,” said Mutelo.He said opposition parties agreed because they thought that they would reach the electorate before Swapo.Earlier, the NBC management went on air several times, claiming that their actions were guided by the Namibian Communications Commissions Act and that until such time as the Act was amended, they would follow the guidelines.Swanu studied the Act and pointed out to the NBC that they were wrong in quoting the Act.When the NBC failed to change the manner in which it allocated airtime, Swanu appointed lawyers PF Koep and Co to demand that the public broadcaster drop the proportional allocation.Shikongo Law Chambers, acting on behalf of the NBC, agreed that the NBC was not bound by the Namibia Communications Commission Act.The letter also conceded that the NBC Act made no specific provision for the allocation of airtime to political parties.The proportional airtime principle is stipulated in the Communications Commission Act, but the NBC is exempted from it.The NBC Act is silent on how much airtime should be allotted to political parties.However, the NBC’s lawyers then claimed that the broadcaster had done so at their own discretion.”If you have ever seen a funny discretion, then it is this one,” said De Waal.The CoD’s Tsudao Gurirab described the NBC as “puppets”.He claimed the NBC had already made up their minds on how to allocate time to political parties and had used the forum as a cover-up.”The basis of discretion is unfair.What kind of a discretion gives 15 per cent to one party and 150 per cent to another? We are not asking for mercy but equal airtime,” he said.Mutelo argued that the fact that all parties, including Swapo, are attacking the NBC means “we are doing a good job”.Kandando said Namibians must not be surprised if one of the opposition parties uses the basis of what transpired with the NBC to ask the High Court to declare the elections null and void.He said the NBC’s discretion militated against equality and fundamental freedoms.