Register of Electors 2019 made available to the Press after PANORAMA campaign

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 Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 10:37

The latest register of electors was recently published and photographs of its cover allowed, but copies of the register itself were not made available to the Press. But the relevant law has now been changed following a campaign by PANORAMA to allow copies to be made available to the Press as a whole, if they require copies. 

The situation arose when the PANORAMA sent an email to the person concerned in Parliament. Our initial request was as follows: "Please could you provide Panorama with a hard copy as well as a digital copy of the latest Register of Electors?"

An exchange took place, and we were told that this could not be made available. We were told the law had been changed limiting the release of the register solely to government departments.

We could not understand how a document to be used in a free and democratic election could not be made available to the Press. The response from PANORAMA Editor was as follows: If Government departments have it, why not the Press which requests it, from where we can obtain statistics etc which we feel are in the public interest - as much as a Government department's use!

Thereupon we also addressed the Chief Minister about it, arguing that the Freedom of the Press could be at stake.

Following our intervention, amendments to the Electors Registration Rules were made and gazetted, and a copy has already been made available to us for journalistic or statistical purposes.

We wish to make it clear that, upon our representations, those concerned adopted helpful and cooperative positions for which we are grateful.

25-06-19 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR