International Press Day (May 3) is being observed today across most countries of the world.

When observing this Day in Ethiopia, each one of us must assess the state of press freedom in Ethiopia with a view to identifying strong sides which need to be further deepened and week sides which should be remedied.

The basic standard by which is determined whether there is freedom of press in a given country is that country's legal framework. Ethiopia has a constitution in which freedom of the press is clearly enshrined. Article 29 of the constitution unreservedly recognizes and provides full protection to this right.

The press law, however, poses a major challenge to the full implementation of freedom of press. The government has undertaken various efforts aimed at revising the 1993 press law and accordingly has issued different draft legislations.

The latest of these drafts, which was circulated last month, still falls short of giving life and enforcing Article 29 of the constitution and, in fact, is contrary to and erodes the right protected by this provision. It is therefore imperative that the government not be in a hurry to pass the current draft revised press law by considering the views of the architects of the draft only.

The draft should be reworked in such a way that it does not incorporate elements of both freedom of the press per se and freedom of information, elements which must be dealt with through different legislations. The promise that Prime Minster Meles Zenawi made once in this regard should be honored.

It is difficult to get a single whole picture of the legal framework pertaining to the press in Ethiopia given that the press law itself as well as the criminal and commercial codes, the broadcasting service law, the establishment proclamation of the Ministry of Information, etc all contain provisions governing specific aspects of the press. Hence it is mandatory that these scattered provisions are consolidated into a single comprehensive legislation. It would be appropriate to ensure that the manner in which this process is undertaken conforms with the existing law-making procedures.

A close examination of the content drafting, presentation and the debate on the latest draft revised press law reveals that it is not up to par. As such we call on the government to refrain from causing it to be passed into law and to make arrangements for it to be redrafted in the spirit of the constitution and then promulgating a strong pro-press-freedom constitution issuing such a draconian draft press law is akin to killing one's own child or denouncing one's own beliefs. It is not in the interest of the public, the nation, the press and the EPRDF itself.

The above mentioned challenges facing freedom of the press are of the government's making. It would, however, be incorrect to assume that the government is the sole source of all the problems besetting the exercise of freedom of the press; they can come from any direction whatever.  

This is what has been, and in fact is being observed, in Ethiopia. Several of the opposition parties have become impediments to the flourishing of press freedom. They invariably lambaste blindly any press which does not support them and act as their mouthpiece or which "dares" to criticize them; they cajole, hustle and sometimes even pay the press to co-opt them to do their bidding.

Furthermore, there are private press which are established and given instructions by opposition parties, which fight with each other, become divided when these things happen to opposition parties.

All this does not bode well for freedom of the press in Ethiopia. It is from such dangers that freedom of the press has to be guarded.

It is not, however, only the government, the ruling party or opposition parties alone whose actions negatively affect freedom of the press. There are some individuals who, though not involved in politics, are renounced or consider themselves to be investors also guilty of playing a negative role vis-a-vis this precious right. These persons cry foul whenever criticisms are levelled against them by the press. Sometimes, individuals who claim to be close to these investors and vested with "the authority to give a hard time" to anyone who disagrees with their "benefactors" resort to threatening the press for any perceived infraction even though the investors do not make any complaints. We ourselves have recently become the victims of such intimidation.

In addition, terrorists and drug lords are also at the forefront of entities which pose a danger to freedom of the press  by killing and harassing journals which expose their shady activities. This is particularly true in the Middle East and Latin America. In fact, they are more of a threat to freedom of the press than the government and opposition parties.

No matter what does this or from whatever direction it comes, any act which unduly restricts the exercise of the rights that the press enjoys is against freedom of the press and is ultimately unconstitutional.

Anyone who stands for freedom of the press should do whatever is possible to resist the challenges facing the press. However, it is particularly the duty of the press itself to watch out for tendencies eroding its freedom which emanate from within and take the appropriate action.