Parliament directs Editor to retract publication

Accra, March 11, GNA- Parliament on Thursday directed the Managing Editor of the Independent to retract an editorial published in the January 22 edition of the newspaper and apologise to the House and Parliamentarians whose names were mentioned.

A statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Jones Kugblenu, Director of Public Affairs said the retraction and apology should be given reasonable prominence.

It said the directives were given after the Parliamentarians had considered a report submitted by the Committee of Privilages, which examined and investigated the contents of the editorial. The statement said the Committee observed that the language used was derogatory and scandalous, adding, "the Committee was also of the view that it was improper for the newspaper to use derogatory metaphors to describe members of the House."

The House by a unanimous decision, the statement said, agreed that the apology should be carried in three consecutive issues and that the first publication of the apology should appear within a week from March 11. The statement said Mr Peter Ala Adjetey commenting on the issue appealed to the media to exercise circumspection and restraint in their use of language in all publications.

He said this was in order not to malign the House in the name of Freedom of the Media.