By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Feb. 21: The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Friday appealed to the government and all political parties to guarantee democracy, human rights and freedom of expression and press by bringing the obstructed democratic process on the right track in the context of the dissolution of the House of Representatives.
Issuing a statement on Friday, the FNJ informed that its 26th general convention held in the capital on February 16-17, also demanded that the government not issue any laws and directives that curtail the freedom of press and expression at a time when the parliament has been dissolved.
In its 13-point proposals endorsed by the general convention, the FNJ demanded guarantee of the freedom of press and expression stopping attack and intimidation on journalists from the state and non-state parties.
The FNJ demanded full implementation of the minimum wage and facilities and benefit to the working journalists as provisioned in the Working Journalists Act.
The FNJ also urged the government and the media houses to guarantee social security to working journalists and staff by taking the issues of dismissal of journalists, not providing salary and benefit and not showing minimum human behaviour by the media houses in the name of COVID-19 seriously.
It demanded accident and health insurance as well as free education to the children of journalists who died or sustained injuries.
The general convention also passed a proposal to remove provision of renewing online media every year, make media houses gender-friendly and implement gender policy.
It also urged the government to increase welfare advertisement budget and protect and encourage the small media houses.