3.1 THE CHALLENGE OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Finally, to enable citizens to make an informed choice, access
to information must be guaranteed. However, three obstacles hinder the movement
of complete and rigorous information to all citizens. On the one hand,
journalists face significant constraints on access to public information, even
when it comes to essential data, such as the constitution of the electoral
file, cutting of the exchanges, or the mapping of the polling stations.
In countries that have experienced a State monopoly on the
media for decades, the retention of public information remains ubiquitous. Free
elections require transparency, where the opacity, deliberate lies and
propaganda have been the rule.
This is a radical change in the political and administrative
culture that requires improvements both on the side of the agents of the State,
which must now communicate, and on the side of journalists who must learn to
locate and request the information.
The lack of access to the data can lead the media to relay
rumors, fanciful surveys or to unfounded speculation that can have damaging
consequences. In the DRC in 20011, as in Kenya next year, media, share and
other, presented as confirmed the victory of 'their' candidate, preparing
activists to reject and challenge the results then published by the electoral
commission. Part and another, the final publication of non-compliance with the
expectations generated an explosion of violence.
In addition, the large number of violations of the freedom of
the press barrier also research information and led many African journalists to
practice self-censorship, particularly in contexts where attacks against their
colleagues give rise to no procedure in justice or punishment to officials or
sponsors. In countries such as Burkina Faso, Rwanda and Togo, self-censorship
of journalists became probably the first obstacle to the right of citizens to
access information.
Finally, the entire population access to pluralist information
in election period is also hampered by the unequal distribution of media and,
often, their low area broadcast. In the francophone African countries in
particular, the written press is limited to the capital and the prints are very
low, not exceeding a few thousand copies. Even if newspapers go from hand to
hand and reach many more readers than there are buyers, dissemination is
limited by the high cost of publications.
Only small urban elite settled and francophone can be
accessed. Television, which involves a significant investment because of the
high cost of TVs and access to electricity, is also reserved for urban and
affluent populations.
Central African Republic, Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, Tchad,
national television, almost in a situation of monopoly, is barely captured
outside the capital. As many private radio stations, they play a great role of
information at the local level, but they broadcast in FM, with a range from 50
to 100 km.
In some parts of Chad and the Central African Republic, some
voters do not have access to complete information on electoral competition, if
sometimes because they receive only radio national or international radio
emitting shortwave in languages they do not understand.
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